EUCLID, Ohio — She feared for her own safety, says the grandmother of the young woman who called 911 moments before a Euclid police officer was shot in the driveway and later died Saturday.
“He was stalking her,” Alnita Robinson said.
A broken window and shattered door are remnants of what Euclid police described as an ambush shooting that killed Officer Jacob Derbin.
Robinson says the suspect, Deshawn Vaughn, was her granddaughter’s boyfriend.
Robinson says her granddaughter was trying to break it off with the father of her baby boy but he was stalking her.
“I’m a little sad, but we’re all going to rest easier now he’s not here,” Robinson said.
Euclid police went to Robinson’s house the night before Mother’s Day. Robinson says her granddaughter doesn’t live there but was visiting that night.
At one point, Robinson says she spotted Vaughn nearby.
“He was never here on my property, he was next door on the deck,” Robinson said.
She pointed to the house next door that appeared to be empty.
She says her granddaughter was afraid of Vaughn and called the police.
“Yes, cause he had a gun you know they couldn’t go to school it was like he threatened everybody in my family,” Robinson said.
Robinson described what happened after Officer Derbin arrived saying at one point there was a shootout.
“The police came the one that got shot and killed he was coming to question my granddaughter she said she didn’t want to come outside she didn’t feel safe he asked if it was okay if he went in the back surveyed the property and she said okay but at that time he must have heard that so he fired,” Robinson said.
Robinson says she didn’t know it would end this way.
“She’s trying to be strong but I know she’s devastated, she has to be,” Robinson said.
She says her granddaughter and Vaughn had been together since last Memorial Day.
“I don't know their story but he really was a nice guy he really was but he was troubled,” Robinson said.
News 5 Investigators asked Robinson what she think happened with the relationship.
“It was like he was troubled, he just flipped, he was troubled and we didn’t know,” Robinson said. She expressed sorrow for her family and Officer Derbin’s family.
“My condolences to the family and the police officer who was here to protect and serve,” Robinson said.
Robinson says she hopes the family can now find some peace, despite the memories in the driveway.
