Community Mourns Tragic Loss of Deputy After Ambush
Tragedy struck Los Angeles County on Saturday evening as Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, a 30-year-old eight-year veteran of the LA County Sheriff's Department, was murdered in an apparent targeted shooting.
Deputy Clinkunbroomer transferred to the Palmdale station in 2018 and worked as a field training officer for a year and a half. Just four days prior to the shooting, he had become engaged.
The attack occurred at around 6 p.m. near the Palmdale station when Deputy Clinkunbroomer was found unconscious in his patrol car after being shot in the head. Unreleased surveillance footage reportedly shows a black car slowly pulling up to the deputy's vehicle, briefly stopping, and then speeding off. Deputy Clinkunbroomer's vehicle then "drifted forward a foot or two and stopped moving," the witness reported.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna described the shooting as an act of targeted violence in a press conference on Saturday night. "I think it was a targeted act based on what we know now, but we're still in the extremely early stages of this investigation," Luna said. "It could have been just the fact that he was representing the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department as one of our employees. We don't know."
I want to let to our community know Deputy Clinkunbroomer left his family tonight to serve our community. He laid everything on the line to serve us. He wore a uniform just like other @LASDHQ deputies wear, driving in a police car, and he was senselessly murdered tonight. pic.twitter.com/Jqc2sSB63c
— Robert Luna (@LACoSheriff) September 17, 2023
A suspect in the shooting has not been identified, and Luna asks anyone with information to call homicide investigators at (323) 890-5500. The Fraternal Order of Police reported that as of early September, 101 law enforcement officers have been shot in 83 separate ambush-style attacks in 2023. Fifteen of those officers were killed by gunfire.
"Deputy Clinkunbroomer was a devoted family member and a cherished community member," Sheriff Luna said. "He was cowardly shot while working tirelessly to serve our community this evening." Deputy Clinkunbroomer was taken to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
This tragedy is a heartbreaking reminder of the extreme risks that law enforcement officers take every day to keep us safe. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is committed to finding the assailant in order to bring them to justice and ensure a safe and secure community for all. Our thoughts and prayers are with Deputy Clinkunbroomer's family and friends during this difficult time.