By Joanna Putman
Police1
EUCLID, Ohio — Newly-released body camera footage sets the scene for the ambush killing of Euclid Police Department Officer Jacob Derbin, who warned other officers of danger while being shot, FOX 8 reported.
The May 11 incident occurred when Derbin and two other officers responded to a woman’s plea for help regarding threats from an ex-lover.
Body camera videos showed the woman expressing her fear to the officers, saying, “I don’t feel safe standing right here and he shot my brother. He is texting that he is going to shoot me and my mother.”
During the response, Derbin went to the backyard to search for the suspect when he was ambushed and shot, according to the report. Despite his injuries, Derbin managed to warn his fellow officers about the suspect’s location, an act that Euclid Police Chief Scott Meyer described as the “total work of a hero.”
Days earlier, the suspect involved in the shooting had been accused of shooting the woman’s brother and had outstanding warrants for a series of crimes and parole violations, according to the report. Following the incident, a standoff with police ensued, ending when the suspect took his own life, as confirmed by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner.
The community and the Euclid Police Department mourn the loss of Derbin, who came from a family deeply rooted in law enforcement, according to the report.
“I am absolutely devastated by the loss of our officer,” Meyer said. “Officer Jacob Derbin is a hero. He did everything right.”
Derbin was sworn into the Euclid Police Department in July 2023.
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Ambushes of law enforcement officers can happen anywhere. In the video below, Gordon Graham discusses the data behind police ambushes.