What is a Blue Alert? Slain Euclid officer prompts search for suspect

Justin Dennis
·2 min read
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EUCLID, Ohio (WJW) — Authorities early Sunday issued a Blue Alert for a man who reportedly shot and killed a Euclid police officer in an ambush late Saturday night.

Like the state’s Amber Alert system for abducted children, Ohio’s Blue Alert system is intended to quickly disseminate information on people suspected of killing, seriously injuring or kidnapping law enforcement officers who remain at large.

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Just after 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, the Attorney General’s Office issued a Blue Alert for Deshawn Anthony Vaughn, the 24-year-old man who was suspected of killing 23-year-old Euclid police officer Jacob Derbin on Saturday night. Authorities deemed him “armed and extremely dangerous.”

Blue Alerts only go out if there’s enough descriptive information about the suspect. The early Sunday alert included a photo of Vaughn, his age, height, weight and hair and eye color, as well as a stock photo showing the make, model and color of the vehicle he was believed to be driving.

Once activated, the information goes out to other police officers, as well as news media outlets and commercial truck drivers. It also appears on highway signs.

Ohio’s Blue Alert system came online in 2012.

“It’s critical that the public work with law enforcement in this type of situation,” said then-Attorney General Mike DeWine. “Ohioans have helped find missing children through AMBER Alerts, and they’ve helped find missing elderly adults through Missing Adult Alerts. The new Blue Alerts will now give Ohioans the chance to help the officers who put their lives on the line for the public every day.”

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A nationwide Blue Alert system was established in 2015, in response to the December 2014 ambush killings of New York City police officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, Nexstar reported.

To sign up for Ohio’s Blue Alerts, visit the Attorney General’s website.

Residents who have information on active Blue Alerts can tip law enforcement in the same manner as Amber Alerts, by calling 877-262-3764 or 911.

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