PARMA, Ohio — During the funeral mass for fallen Euclid Police Officer Jacob Derbin, there was a reading from the gospel, a passage about a shephard laying down his life for the sheep.
Father Doug Brown, chaplain for the Cleveland Division of Police, said the gospel reading was chosen by the family. He said that Derbin lived in imitation of the good shephard, that he died so others could live, even warning other officers after he had been shot.
The funeral took place Saturday morning at St. Columbkille Church on Broadview Road in Parma, and was followed by a burial at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Cuyahoga Heights.
Police dogs and their handlers lined up outside the church, and hundreds of police cars filled the parking lot. Officers came from across the state, even some from Pittsburgh. The funeral saw officers packing the pews inside the church, alongside Derbin's family and loved ones.
Derbin's fiance Liv Wuebker, who he was set to marry on July 27, also spoke. She talked about how much he loved everyone at the Euclid Police Department and that he was so excited for work every day, he would leave 90 minutes early. She thanked them for bringing him into the brotherhood.
"What I will miss most is my everyday Jacob," she said. "The Jacob that would mess with me on the couch when I was trying to relax after a long day, the Jacob that would take care of me when my stomach would act up, the Jacob that would roast me every chance he got and also be my biggest supporter."
Part of the wedding preparations for marrying in the Catholic church, she said, was to write a letter to her future spouse on why she loves him. She then read a letter to him.
"I genuinely feel unconditional love for you, Jacob," she read, in part. "Our relationship reflects a partnership built on trust, understanding and genuine care for each others' well being. Thank you for meeting my insecurities with kindness, for looking into my tired eyes and offering me a place to rest. Thank you for keeping me warm and holding me when things got too heavy. Thank you for supporting me, hearing me and seeing me. Thank you for teaching me how to love myself, but most importantly, thank you for loving me."
Euclid Police Chief Scott Meyer recalled back to his first interview with then-candidate Derbin, saying he walked in with the biggest smile and was very respectful. He nailed the interview, even before telling the chief that his father worked in the department. From that day forward, he said Derbin had that same infectious smile. He was fun, caring and compassionate, but he was also a competent and skilled officer, the chief said.
"On Saturday, May 11, 2024, Euclid Police Officer Jacob Derbin, badge 14, gave his life serving his community," he said. "There is no doubt that his actions saved the lives of four individuals, two of his fellow police officers and two citizens. Jacob, you are a true hero, and I am so incredibly proud of you."
This is when Meyer said Derbin would be posthumously receiving the Euclid Police Department Medal of Honor for his actions, the highest honor for an officer in the department. Meyer said they have no records indicating any other officer has ever received the honor.
"Jacob, the world was truly a better place with you in it," he said. "Now, heaven will receive that same benefit."
Brown said they wanted to honor a hero as well as offer prayers for his family, whose journey he said was just beginning.
"This is a heavy loss, and while we have a full church today, we need to be there for Jacob's family in the weeks and months to come because, for them, their journey is just beginning," he said.
Even though he said the pain now is raw, real and pointed, he shared a story of hope. He said he recently spoke with a woman who had lost her husband, a detective in the Cleveland Police Department, a few years back. He said when he saw her, she was smiling and happy.
"She showed me that joy is indeed possible to find again after a loss like this, that the pain, which is crippling right now, will not be this sharp forever," he said. "She gave me great hope for all of you. She gave me hope for me, too."