Man sentenced to 16 years to life in the death of an Ohio firefighter.
August 21, 2023
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A man has been sentenced to 16 years to life in the death of an Ohio firefighter who was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver on an interstate as he was working at the scene of an earlier crash last fall. Leander Bissell, 41, was convicted last month of murder, felonious assault, aggravated vehicular homicide and other counts in the Nov. 19 death of Cleveland firefighter Johnny Tetrick. A Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court judge sentenced him to life and denied parole consideration until he has served 16 years. Tetrick, 51, a 27-year veteran of the department and a father of three, was struck as he was clearing debris at the scene of a rollover crash on I-90 in Bratenahl. Prosecutors said Bissell’s vehicle went onto the shoulder of the highway and accelerated, striking the firefighter and then fleeing. Police said the vehicle was found and Bissell arrested hours later. Bissell, his voice shaking at times, apologized to the victim’s family during Tuesday’s sentencing hearing. Defense attorneys had argued that he was driving negligently — not recklessly — and did not intend to harm anyone. But he told Tetrick’s three daughters that they “deserve justice.”
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