CLEVELAND — Monday morning, a procession and memorial service was held in Cleveland to remember and honor the life of Officer Jamieson Ritter, who was shot and killed in the line of duty on the Fourth of July.
PHOTOS: Procession for Jamieson Ritter
The procession started just after 9 a.m., with the service following at the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist, 1007 Superior Ave., Cleveland.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help Ritter's family. CLICK HERE for more information.
You can watch the full procession and memorial service in the player below:
While the memorial service was held right here in town, the officer's funeral will take place in New York, where he was from.
Cleveland Division of Police Chief Dorothy Todd spoke during the memorial service, calling Ritter "a guardian of our community."
Ritter's partner, Officer Brittany Vajusi, also spoke fondly of him, calling him "fearless."
Last month, Ritter was nominated for the Cleveland Police Foundation's Officer of the Month award, along with Vajusi, for three calls the two officers responded to this year.
According to the foundation, on Feb. 2, the two responded to a home in the 3400 block of East 69th Street for a man shot. The two officers used chest seals to cover his wounds and administered CPR.
While the victim later died from his injuries, "the officers gave it their all to give the victim a chance at survival," Sgt. Eric Newton said in his nomination for the two officers.
On April 20, Ritter and Vajusi responded to the 1000 block of Old River Road after a man jumped into the Cuyahoga River. The officers went in after him, pulled him to safety and then helped warm him up to prevent hypothermia.
"Again, Patrol Officers Vajusi and Ritter played a key role in saving someone's life," Newton said.
In the most recent incident mentioned in Newton's nomination, Ritter and Vajusi responded to the area of East 55th Street and McBride for a man shot.
"Patrol Officers Vajusi and Ritter removed the male's clothing, applied bandages and chest seals, and gave words of encouragement to the male in an effort to keep him alive. As if this wasn't enough, they were also inquiring for information about who had shot him. Their inquiries ultimately led to the arrest of the suspected shooter. The officers literally conducted the investigation at the same time they were saving the victim's life. Patrol Officer Ritter stayed with the victim all the way until he was inside the EMS wagon. I do not believe the victim would have survived had it not been for Patrol Officer Vajusi and Ritter's dedication to saving lives," Newton said.
Flags, flowers and other mementos have been placed outside the city's Third District Precinct by people stopping by to pay their respects to the officer.
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Ritter was shot and killed in the line of duty on the Fourth of July while looking for a man wanted out of Garfield Heights for felonious assault.
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The suspect is behind bars, being held on a $5 million bond.
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