CLEVELAND — Ahead of a thrilling walk-off victory for the division-leading Cleveland Guardians on Sunday, a special moment took place on the Progressive Field pitching mound.
Vince Trusso, the father of fallen Euclid police officer Jacob Derbin, threw out the first pitch before the afternoon matchup with the Minnesota Twins. Trusso is also an officer for the Euclid Police Department.
Derbin was shot and killed last Saturday while responding to a call. He was 23 years old.
The department shared photos of the moment on Facebook, calling it a "perfect first pitch."
Trusso was accompanied by Jacob Derbin's mother, Dawn Derbin, and his fiancée, Liv Wuebker.
The Guardians shared footage of the first pitch taken from field-level with 3News. You can see that video, courtesy of the Cleveland Guardians, in the video player above.
The Guardians also posted a video on social media showing Trusso meeting with manager Stephen Vogt and star José Ramírez after the pitch.
'A TRUE HERO'
Derbin was laid to rest on Saturday. During the funeral services, Euclid Police Chief Scott Meyer announced that Derbin will be posthumously receiving the department's Medal of Honor, the highest honor that can be awarded to a Euclid officer.
Derbin was fatally shot on May 11 while responding to a domestic violence call on East 211th Street.
“The complainant stated that her child’s father threatened to harm her and her mother,” Meyer explained after the shooting. “Officers arrived and spoke to the complainant who stated that the suspect was on foot and possibly nearby. Officers went to check the back yard and were ambushed by gunfire from the suspect.”
At the funeral, Meyer added that there is "no doubt" that Derbin's actions on the night of May 11 saved the lives of four people — two police officers and two citizens.
"Jacob, you are a true hero and I'm so incredibly proud of you," Meyer added.
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