CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – In the wake of Independence Day, the Ohio National Guard and the former battalion of fallen Cleveland officer Jamieson Ritter honored the veteran for his service.

Before serving as an officer for the Cleveland Division of police, Ritter was a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University, enrolled in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.

Syracuse Army ROTC said Ritter was a Communication and Rhetorical Studies major as a cadet at the University.

“Jamieson has continued to strengthen his leadership skills, emphasizing the value of being able to communicate well not only when one is leading but also when following,” Syracuse Army ROTC shared in regards to his leadership training in Feb. 2019.

Ritter served as Stalwart Battalion’s S6 before he commissioned as a Quartermaster Officer in the New York Army National Guard, according to Syracuse Army ROTC.

Cleveland police said Ritter was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army National Guard, which he served with the 134th Field Artillery Regiment.

After becoming a Cleveland police officer in Nov. 2020, Ofc. Ritter, who previously served with the National Guard, was deployed to Syria in 2020 with his unit, Sgt. Diaz said.

“Ritter was a model for selfless service and was a servant to his community, state, and country,” one Facebook post read.

Ritter returned to serve as an officer in 2023.

“The sudden unexpected loss of one of the finest young officers to have served in our battalion leaves an indescribable feeling of grief and sadness that is difficult to process, amplified by the non-negotiable theme of ‘freedom’ that permeates this holiday, making his loss resonate even deeper for those that knew him well,” one post read.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State’s 2025 recruiting classes had one of its biggest wins of the cycle on Saturday.

Five-star linebacker Riley Pettijohn, the No. 31 overall player and No. 4 linebacker in the class, has chosen Ohio State over Texas, Texas A&M and USC. It is, to date, linebacker coach James Laurinaitis’ biggest win since being hired in a full-time capacity.

From McKinney, Texas, Pettijohn is an extremely athletic linebacker that has great sideline-to-sideline speed. He figures to fit into Ohio State’s defense in a traditional linebacker role, likely at the will, can play the mike as well.

Ohio State’s 2025 class is now loaded with top-tier talent, as there are three five stars on the defensive side of the ball — including two from Texas — with cornerbacks Devin Sanchez and Na’eem Offord and now Pettijohn.

The Buckeyes have five top 50 prospects on the defensive side of the ball, and seven top 50 players as a whole. They also have 11 top 100 prospects committed out of 23 total pledges.

Stay tuned with Cleveland.com for more on this story.

Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, in collaboration with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, has announced the successful shutdown of 11 internet domains linked to a smishing scam. This scam targeted individuals via text messages claiming unpaid parking or toll balances, directing them to an official-looking website to harvest personal and financial information.

The Virtual Currency Unit of the Brooklyn DA’s Office identified and dismantled the fraudulent domains after receiving complaints about text messages asking for a nominal fee to settle supposed outstanding balances. These texts contained links to realistic-looking websites where victims were prompted to enter sensitive information such as their name, date of birth, driver’s license number, and credit or debit card number. This information was then used for identity theft or sold on the Dark Web.

District Attorney Gonzalez emphasized the importance of being wary of unsolicited messages requesting money or personal details. “People should be very suspicious of any unsolicited text message or email requesting money or personal information, and never click on links without knowing the sender,” he said. He commended the swift action of the Virtual Currency Unit in dismantling the fraudulent domains.

Mayor Adams reiterated the administration’s commitment to protecting New Yorkers from such scams. “This administration will not sit idly by while bad actors attempt to take advantage of unsuspecting New Yorkers,” he said. He reminded the public that official entities like the Department of Finance and NYC City Pay will never request payments via text message.

The investigation began when a detective received a suspicious text message requesting a small fee to settle a balance. Subsequent complaints revealed the operation as a smishing scam, a form of phishing that uses text messages to solicit personal information. Within 24 hours, the DA’s Office identified and took down 11 related domains through a court order.

The dismantled domains include:

• nycitypay.com
• newyorktollbymail.com
• tollsnewyorkbymail.com
• tollwebmail518ny.com
• nytoll585.com
• nyaccounttoll.com
• mailny8291.com
• nytollbymail.com
• nytolls2229.com
• nybymail.com
• ny1ezpassexpress.com

Individuals who responded to the scam are advised to freeze their accounts, activate a credit card freeze, notify their bank and credit card provider, and monitor their finances closely for unusual activity.

NYC Cyber Command will continue to partner with the DA’s Office to keep New Yorkers informed about similar scams and provide necessary information to protect against identity theft.