I-Team: New video shows prior police encounter with man accused in officer Jamieson Ritter’s murder

CLEVELAND (WJW) — Video released to the FOX 8 I-Team shows a man struggling with police months before investigators said he shot and killed Cleveland police officer Jamieson Ritter .

We filed a records request to see what happened last year when police encountered Delawnte Hardy.

The new video coming to light shows Hardy putting up a fight with police last December.

That occurred seven months before investigators said Hardy fought with police again on July 4 and took the life of officer Ritter.

Body camera video shows Cleveland police found Delawnte Hardy on the east side in a vacant house late last year. He immediately turned difficult with very odd behavior.

Police can be heard talking to Hardy through a broken window.

“Come here. You gotta come out, OK?”

“We’ll hold your bag.”

Hardy claimed, “I’m cleaning.”

An officer asked, “What are you cleaning?”

Hardy answered, “The trash.”

An officer then said, “OK, can we talk outside, though?”

Hardy said, “Calm down, first.”

But an officer responded, “I think we’re pretty calm.”

The conversation continued with police asking, “What’s your name, bud?”

Hardy gave his name, then asked, “You ever heard of Mission Impossible Santa Claus?”

An officer answered, “I never heard of Mission Impossible Santa Claus.”

Police finally went into the house, and it took multiple officers to control and arrest Hardy.

In that December incident, police arrested Hardy for criminal trespass and resisting arrest.

But later, Cleveland Municipal Court found Hardy incompetent for trial.

He ended up back on the streets. Investigators said he then killed his grandmother and officer Ritter.

The Cuyahoga County court also recently found Hardy incompetent to stand trial for the murder charges. A judge ordered him to be sent to a psychiatric clinic to get treatment so that eventually he can stand trial.

But a month after that order, we found Hardy was still sitting in jail waiting for a bed to open at the psychiatric clinic.

In the meantime, we’ve also shown you Hardy has acted out while locked up behind bars.

All of this we now see with a suspect not even willing to come out of a vacant home peacefully.

The court believes Hardy can be restored to competency to face trial. We will keep monitoring the case.

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