Family of killed man said he was no burglar, but part of a love triangle

CITRUS COUNTY - On the steps of the old historic courthouse in Inverness, family and friends of 28-year-old Derrick Vaccianna called for justice.

Last week Derrick was shot and killed by 24-year-old Citrus County deputy Gregory Entrekin. 

Initial reports indicated that Vaccianna was shot in the course of a burglary at a home on Eden Dr. in Inverness, but Vaccianna's family disputes that claim and believe their son was caught up in what their attorney Chuck Hobbs called "a love triangle."

At a news conference Tuesday, the family said their son was involved in a relationship with the woman who lived at the home, and that he, for the most part, lived there as well, and even had a key.

Mom Dorothea Vaccianna said it was a long-term relationship.  "(The woman) has been coming to my home for several years. I think about two years now Derrick and (the woman) have been seeing each other on and off."

Their attorney would also produce a transcript of what he says was a 911 call made that night. A call he says was from Derrick, who told the 911 operator that "an off-duty deputy had a gun on him."

The family has also contacted the NAACP and compared it to the Trayvon Martin case and the issues surrounding the 'stand your ground law.'

Although it hasn't happened yet, the family says because the initial report claimed Derrick was shot during a burglary, they are concerned that the issue of self defense might come up.

The news conference was designed to put everyone on notice that the family is not going to let this matter go. They say, although they have no reason to believe the Citrus County Sheriff's Office and the FDLE is not conducting a thorough investigation, they want to make sure that remains the case.

So family and friends will now wait to see what happens next, with Derrick's dad emphasizing from here they will keep an eye on what is discovered and their heart on what was lost. "I gave him life," Derrick Vaccianna Sr. would choke through tears, "and somebody else took it. I don't think it's fair. I need justice."