A man charged with the murder of a Cleveland firefighter from Kirtland after hitting him with his car in November has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility for parole after 16 years.
On Aug. 15, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Timothy McCormick sentenced 41-year-old Leander Bissell to serve his sentence at the Lorain Correctional Institute, according to court documents.
Bissell was indicted on seven counts, including murder, felonious assault and aggravated vehicular homicide.
Johnny Tetrick, a 51-year-old Kirtland resident, was killed Nov. 19 in the line of duty while responding to a crash on Interstate 90.
At approximately 8:15 p.m., Engine 22 responded to Interstate 90 eastbound at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Drive for a motor vehicle crash involving a flipped vehicle. During the response, Tetrick was struck by a passing vehicle, whose driver then fled the scene, according to the post.
Tetrick was transported to University Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
At approximately 12:20 a.m. Nov. 20, Cleveland Police officers located the vehicle that struck Tetrick at East 152nd Street and Ridpath Avenue. The suspect, later identified as Bissell, was taken into custody by Bratenahl Police Department in connection with aggravated vehicular homicide and failure to stop after an accident on public roads or highways.
Tetrick served with the Cleveland Division of Fire for over 27 years, most of that time he spent assigned to Engine 22 on the city’s east side.
He is survived by his family, including his wife and three adult daughters.
