Cleveland officer’s murder: What Delawnte Hardy’s mental state means for charges
CLEVELAND (WJW) – The FOX 8 I-Team investigated to give you a new look inside the mind of the suspect accused of killing his grandmother and a Cleveland police officer.
We’ve reported Delawnte Hardy had battled mental health issues. So, we asked if he had been getting treatment.
Also, what does this mean as he faces murder charges?
We uncovered new evidence of concern about Hardy’s mental state that had been building for a long time.We also learned more about his mental health issues.
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When Cleveland police tried to arrest Hardy on July 4, they say he shot and killed officer Jamieson Ritter.
Police had warning he was “known to be schizophrenic.”
We recently reported that, just months ago, a Cleveland Municipal Court judge dismissed charges against Hardy for resisting arrest. The court found him incompetent for trial.
Now, the court tells the I-Team that Hardy should’ve been getting help after that. In an email, they told us, “he continued to be a client” at an agency, “where he was expected to receive mental health treatment and services.”
In fact, a relative tells us Hardy complained about the medicine he’d been taking. He had an appointment on the day police say he killed his grandmother.
Hardy now sits in the Cuyahoga County Jail in a cell by himself in a mental health unit.
We turned to Case Western Reserve University Law Professor Michael Benza. We asked, how can a guy be incompetent at the same time he’s running from police and allegedly killing an officer?
“Competency is a focus on what does the defendant’s mental state allow him to process now,” Michael Benza said.
The professor expects another psych evaluation for the new cases, asking some basic questions.
“Does the defendant understand the proceedings? Does he understand the courtroom? Does he understand the players? Second, can he assist his counsel in his defense?” Benza said.
Court records from the last case reflect “illogical thoughts” and a “lack of comprehension.”
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This comes to light as no one can understand the evil that has Hardy back in court.
He goes back before a judge on Monday to begin facing murder charges.
A spokesperson for Cuyahoga County prosecutors said in an email, “As this is an open case, we respectfully decline to comment.”
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