Surprise guests deliver food to Cleveland police, honoring fallen Officer Ritter

CLEVELAND (WJW) – Surprise dinner guests showed up with a special donation at the Cleveland Police Department’s Third District.

However, they didn’t come to dine, but to serve a meal and offer comfort to the officers following the death of Officer Jamieson Ritter , who was killed in the line of duty on July 4.

“We’re here to show our support for each and every one of the men and women in blue who serve here,” said Pastor Grady Stevenson.

About a dozen volunteers arrived around 4 p.m. with a buffet of warm food. Some of the dishes came from McDonald’s and some were homemade, but all of it came from the heart.

“This is just an expression of love, you know, food for the soul,” said Jeff Brown from the The Jeff Brown Show.

The kind gesture is part of a larger unifying effort by author and activist Yvonne Pointer and her nonprofit Hope Haven.

The group also delivered meals to the Euclid Police Department after Officer Jacob Derbin was also killed in the line of duty.

“We understand the tragedy they went through,” said Billy Sharp, who is one the Civilian Police Review Board and was representing Ledwidge GP Management DBA McDonald’s. “We work with these officers, we have meetings in our restaurants, so it’s very important to us that we reach out to this district and hold them in our arms.”

They said they want citizens and officers to work together to create safer cities and are praying for all of them to safely make it home to their families.

They also sent prayers and condolences to Ritter’s family in Rochester, New York, where he is originally from and was laid to rest Saturday, July 13.

“Our prayers are really going out to the Ritter family,” said Pastor Jimmy Gates. He added that Officer Ritter, “is forever part of Cleveland’s family.”

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