Ohio police officer killed after being 'ambushed'; suspect also found dead

EUCLID, Ohio - An Ohio police officer was shot and killed after being "ambushed" while responding to a disturbance call over the weekend, authorities said. The suspect was later found dead by police. 

Officers in the Cleveland suburb of Euclid were dispatched just before 10 p.m. local time on Saturday to a home after a reported disturbance. The caller had told police that her child’s father threatened to harm her and her mother, according to a statement from Euclid Police on 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 went to check the backyard where the suspect opened fire on them.

"While police were investigating, a gunman ambushed an officer, striking 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. 

Multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in a search for the person responsible, according to authorities. Local news station WKYC-TV reported residents who live on the street said they heard about a dozen gunshots.

Ohio's attorney general, Dave Yost, identified the slain officer as Jacob Derbin and said he was in his first year with the department.

Yost vowed that the person responsible "will be found and will receive the full measure of justice." Yost's office posted photos online of the 24-year-old suspect and the vehicle being sought.

Law enforcement agencies from Northeast Ohio later found Vaughn in an apartment complex, according to a statement from Euclid police. 

Vaughn was found dead inside the apartment after a standoff. Police did not say how he died.

Ohio’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating the standoff.

"It is a cruel irony that a mother lost her son on Mother’s Day, and that this murder happened just as we prepare to solemnize 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."

Officer killed ‘was an amazing human being’

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

"He was an amazing human being. Just a great heart. Had an incredible smile. The world’s a better place with him in it," said Euclid Police Chief Scott Meyer, WJW-TV reported.

Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail said in a statement Sunday that "we find ourselves grappling with a profound sense of sorrow and disbelief." 

The mayor called on the community "to come together in solidarity and support, not only to honor a hero who selflessly served and protected us but also to offer strength to one another in this time of grief."

This story was reported from Detroit. The Associated Press contributed.