On the Job 

Deputy Rex A. Emrick | Pickaway County Sheriff's Office | EOW: Jan. 26, 2021
Deputy Emrick devoted nearly 47 years to law enforcement — all but the first 18 months with the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office. Along the way, law enforcement organizations and civic groups formally recognized his numerous accomplishments with awards and citations. True to form, though, Deputy Emrick, who most recently worked as a detective for the sheriff’s office, always deflected attention away from himself and toward his law enforcement colleagues: “In a small department, it takes everyone to make successful arrests.” 
Deputy Emrick died of complications from COVID-19 in January 2021, five weeks shy of his 70th birthday.
 
Lt. David W. Reynolds | Butler County Sheriff's Office | EOW: Sept. 30, 2021
When Corrections Lt. Reynolds said he was “living a dream” — and he said it often — his words reflected the gratitude of a man who counted his blessings.
Chief among those blessings was his family, and those who knew Lt. Reynolds even marginally soon realized how devoted he was to his wife, three sons and grandkids. Reynolds joined the Butler County Sheriff’s Office in 2001 as a corrections officer and rose through the ranks. In addition, he was a former member of the Hanover Township Fire Department and an ordained minister.
Lt. Reynolds, 58, died in September 2021 of complications from COVID-19.
 
Officer Jacob Derbin | Euclid Police Department | EOW: May 11, 2024
Officer Derbin’s family has a long tradition of public service, and he knew from a young age that he would answer the call. He idolized his grandfather, who served for 27 years with the Brooklyn Heights Police Department and helped raise him. Officer Derbin now lies next to his grandfather in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Cuyahoga Heights. During his brief time with the Euclid Police Department, he “led with integrity and strength, showing us the power of selfless service,” Chief Scott Meyer said.
Just 10 months into his tenure with the Euclid PD, Officer Derbin was fatally shot in an ambush after answering a 911 call from a woman who said that her ex-boyfriend was lurking outside the house and texting that he was going to kill her. Officer Derbin was 23.
 
Officer Jamieson R. Ritter | Cleveland Division of Police | EOW: July 4, 2024
In April 2024, Officer Ritter and his partner saved a man who had jumped into the Cuyahoga River. A month later, they saved a man who had been shot multiple times by an unknown assailant. His acts of heroism typified the character he brought to the job during his 3½ years with the department. “His compassion for those in need and his relentless pursuit of justice were evident in every action he took,” Police Chief Dorothy “Annie” Todd said. “He was a guardian of our community, a beacon of hope and a symbol of strength.”
Officer Ritter was killed July 4 when he and several other officers went to a home to serve an arrest warrant. While attempting to flee on a bike, the suspect fired four shots, one of which struck Officer Ritter. He was 27.