‘Not giving up’: Jacob Derbin’s mother campaigning to protect police officers

CLEVELAND (WJW) – The FOX 8 I-Team has found a new push to protect the lives of police officers.

It comes as part of a campaign by the mother of Euclid Officer Jacob Derbin, who was recently killed in the line of duty.

Dawn Derbin opened up to the I-Team about what she’s doing even though she knows it won’t be easy.

She spoke out as the community said goodbye Monday to a Cleveland police officer killed in the line of duty.

“I will always be my son’s voice,” Dawn Derbin said.

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Mother’s Day weekend, Jacob Derbin lost his life when police say he was ambushed answering a call.

Last week, a gunman murdered Cleveland officer Jamieson Ritter.

Now, officer Derbin’s mother has started working to find out what can be done to reduce the chance of that happening again.

“It angers me, but I don’t want to be angry,” she said. “I want justice and changes. Immediately, I was asking questions.”

Police have said Jacob Derbin was ambushed by a wanted man accused of terrorizing an ex-lover and shooting a man several times.

Investigators say officer Ritter was shot by a man suspected in another shooting. It happened after patrol officers had surrounded a home looking for the suspect.

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Dawn Derbin says she has already started talking to police and federal agents, asking what more can be done to find the wanted before they hurt someone else. What about the safety of patrol officers dealing with dangerous fugitives?

“Why did this have to happen, again?” she said. “It should not have had to happen again. I’m looking for answers of how things can change. How these policies change, who makes these changes? Who do I go to?”

The police work is not as simple as barging into a house after someone or figuring out what car a suspect drives. The I-Team has spoken to law enforcement officials involved in these cases of officers shot. They tell us they also want to find ways to make the system better, but there may be no easy fixes.

Now, two officers have been recently killed investigating violent felons.

Yet, Dawn Derbin remains determined.

“We need to always support our police officers,” she said.

She finds inspiration in her son’s pickup heading down the long road to change. She spoke of her son, saying, “I need him with me. I know he’s always with me… I’m not giving up. One step at a time.”

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