EUCLID, Ohio (AP) – An Ohio police officer was shot and killed after being “ambushed” while responding to a disturbance call over the weekend, and the search is on for the suspect, authorities said Sunday.
Police in the Cleveland suburb of Euclid said officers were called to a residence just before 10 p.m. Saturday after receiving a report of a disturbance.
“During the police investigation, a man with a gun ambushed the officers and opened fire,” police said in a statement. The officer was taken to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, police said. Multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in the search for those responsible, authorities said. WKYC-TV Residents living on the street reported hearing more than a dozen gunshots.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost identified the slain officer as Jacob Durbin and said he was in his first year with the department.
Yost vowed that those responsible “will be found and brought to full justice.” Yost's office posted photos online of the 24-year-old suspect and the vehicle being searched.
“It is a cruel irony that this murder occurred just as a mother lost her son on Mother's Day and we were preparing to solemnly commemorate our fallen soldiers during National Police Memorial Week,” Yost said in a statement. said. “My heart burns with anger at this injustice against this young officer's family and the Euclid Police Department.”
In a statement early Sunday morning, Euclid police asked that people “keep the fallen officer, his family, loved ones, and our agency in your thoughts and prayers.”
“He was a great human being. Just a great heart. He had an incredible smile. The world is a better place with him in it,” said Euclid Police Chief Scott Meyer. WJW TV reported.
“We are grappling with deep sadness and disbelief,” Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer-Gale said in a statement Sunday. The mayor called on the community to “come together in solidarity and support, not only to honor the heroes who have so selflessly served and protected us, but also to strengthen each other during this time of grief.” Ta.
