Suspect in shooting an Ohio police officer is found dead after an altercation, officials say

EUCLID, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio police officer was shot and killed after he was “ambushed” while responding to a disturbance call over the weekend, and a suspect was later found dead by police, authorities said Sunday.

Police in the Cleveland suburb of Euclid said officers were dispatched to a home shortly before 10 p.m. Saturday after a reported disturbance. The complainant told police that the father of her child had threatened to harm her and her mother, Euclid police said in a statement Sunday evening. After officers arrived at the scene, the woman stated that the suspect, identified by police as Deshawn Vaughn, was on foot and possibly nearby. Officers checked the backyard where the suspect opened fire on them.

“While police were investigating, a gunman ambushed an officer and struck him with gunfire,” police said. Officers returned fire and the suspect fled the scene. The officer was taken to a hospital but died from his injuries, police said. Authorities said several law enforcement agencies were involved in the search for the person responsible. WKYC-TV reported that residents living on the street reported hearing about a dozen gunshots.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost identified the slain officer as Jacob Derbin and said he was in his first year with the department. He was sworn in on July 24, 2023.

Yost promised that the person responsible “will be found and receive the full measure of justice.” Yost’s office posted photos online of the 24-year-old suspect and the wanted vehicle.

Northeast Ohio law enforcement later located Vaughn at an apartment complex, according to a statement from Euclid police. After a standoff, Vaughn was found dead in the apartment. Police did not say how he died.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation will investigate the standoff.

“It is a cruel irony that a mother lost her son on Mother’s Day and that this murder occurred just as we were preparing to honor our fallen during Police Memorial Week,” Yost said in a statement. “My heart burns with anger at this injustice, for the family of this young officer and the Euclid Police Department.”

Euclid police in a statement early Sunday asked people to “keep the fallen officer, his family, loved ones and our agency in your thoughts and prayers.”

“He was an amazing person. Just a great heart. Had an incredible smile. The world is a better place with him,” said Euclid Police Chief Scott Meyer, WJW-TV reported.

Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail said in a statement on Sunday: “We are struggling with a deep sense of sadness and disbelief.” The mayor called on the community to “come together in solidarity and support, not just to honor a hero who selflessly sacrificed us served and protected, but also to give strength to one another in this time of grief.”