Riverside High School

Lieutenant Keith DeWitt

After graduating from Riverside, Keith started his Law Enforcement career for the City of Mentor Police Department as a Corrections officer and then later a part-time firefighter for Painesville Township.

As a corrections officer, Keith received a Resolution of Commendation from the City of Mentor in 1991 for rendering assistance to a distressed motorist whose infant has stopped breathing and upon completion of CPR; Keith restored the infant’s ability to breathe.  

In October 1996, Keith received a Letter of Commendation from Police Chief Rohrbaugh for going beyond the call of duty at a motorcycle injury accident that occurred in Waite Hill.  In October 1998, Keith received The Jorge Medina Distinguished Service Award from the Lake County Blue Coats, Inc. for going beyond the call of duty at an injury accident that occurred on Interstate 90 and the Chagrin River.  Keith and a fellow officer scaled down an 85 foot cliff and out into 3 feet of water to rescue the driver who was trapped lying across the front seat of the car. 

Keith’s community involvement cannot go unnoticed. Keith teaches and instructs Defensive Tactics classes. He also helped plan his last Class of 1986 Reunion.  He is also a member and award winner of various shooting and gun clubs.  He also does community service in his chosen career.  

Currently Keith is a Lieutenant for the Waite Hill Police Department.  Keith has received an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration. In 2004, Keith was the first village officer graduate from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.  It is known as the Harvard of law enforcement and only half of 1 percent of police officers worldwide get accepted into the elite 10-week program.  Keith is also a graduate of the Police Executive Leadership College.    

Throughout Keith’s career he has shown heroic efforts to dedicate his life to public and community service by performing heroic life saving actions both on and off the job.  He has consistently demonstrated extraordinary efforts at accident scenes without regard to his own safety.  Keith is and outstanding father, police officer, son, friend, and an exceptional asset to Lake County.