CLEVELAND — A Cuyahoga County grand jury has indicted the man accused of the hit-and-run incident that killed Cleveland firefighter Johnny Tetrick earlier this month.
According to a release from Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley, 40-year-old Leander Bissell faces charges including murder, felonious assault, and aggravated vehicular homicide for the incident on I-90 eastbound near Martin Luther King Blvd. on November 19.
Tetrick was among the first responders at the scene of a rollover accident along with other members of the Cleveland Division of Fire, the Cleveland Division of Police, and Bratenahl Police Department. Investigators say Bissell drove his car around the left side of a police car and struck Tetrick as he was clearing debris. The 51-year-old Tetrick was taken to University Hospitals where he was later pronounced dead.
Bissell did not stop, fleeing the scene at high speed. He was found near East 152nd Street and Ridpath Avenue in Cleveland later that night and placed under arrest.
“For over 20 years, Cleveland Firefighter Tetrick served the citizens of Cleveland. Firefighter Tetrick’s death is a heartbreaking tragedy that could have been avoided if Leander Bissell made better choices that day,” said O’Malley in a statement. “My thoughts remain with Firefighter Tetrick’s family, friends, and fellow firefighters during this truly devastating time.”
Bissell was indicted on the following charges:
- One count of Murder
- Two counts of Felonious Assault
- One count of Involuntary Manslaughter
- One count of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide
- One count of Failure To Stop After Accident
- One count of Failure to Comply
Bissell will be arraigned at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center at a later date.
The indictment comes just two days after funeral services were held for Tetrick at Cleveland's Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Tetrick's daughter Eden spoke about Bissell during Saturday's ceremony. "When people ask my sisters and I how we can talk about the man who hit my father and acknowledge that he is a human being and not a monster, the answer is the gospel. My father always taught us forgiveness because God forgave us. Despite my hurt and my pain, I forgive the man who killed my father."