Almost a year after Euclid Police officer Jacob Derbin's death, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation has finished its investigation.
It has been determined that, based on BCI's investigation and the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office, "there is no evidence to suggest that anyone other than the suspect was responsible for Jacob’s death," according to Euclid Police.
On May 11, 2024, Derbin was shot during an ambush while responding to a disturbance at a home in the 300 block of East 211th Street just before 10 p.m.
The officer was transported to University Hospitals, where he died from his injuries.
The night Derbin was killed, Euclid Police requested BCI to investigate the shooting and the actions of officers that night so the department could ensure transparency and officers could apprehend the suspect, Deshawn A. Vaughn, who was still at large that night, Euclid Police said.
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"By requesting BCI’s involvement, Chief Meyer showed compassion to his fellow Officers by not burdening them with the unimaginable responsibility of investigating the horrific murder of one of their own," Euclid Police said in a statement.
The search for Vaughn ended at a Shaker Heights apartment complex after an hour-long standoff that ended in Vaughn's death the following day.
Euclid Police said that it has refrained from issuing any detailed statement regarding the shooting to avoid interference with BCI's investigation. After the investigation concluded last week, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office presented its findings to a Cuyahoga County Grand Jury, which returned a no-bill, exonerating EPD Officers of any wrongdoing.
"There has been no effort by the EPD to obscure the facts surrounding Jacob’s murder. We have fully cooperated with all outside investigators," Euclid Police said in a statement. "The City of Euclid has also fulfilled massive public record requests filed by multiple individuals and entities, including the Derbin family."
Derbin joined the department in 2023; he was also a veteran who served in the Army Reserves.
"With the closure of the investigation, a new stage in the healing process can hopefully begin," Euclid Police said. "An important piece of this process includes our participation in Police Week ceremonies both locally and in our nation’s Capital where both our community and country can honor the lives of fallen Officers. For it is together, among peers, friends, and family where we will share our love and grief and summon the will to continue our important work; never forgetting that some made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of others."
