A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy, identified as Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, was shot and killed while on duty in his patrol car on Saturday evening. The incident occurred near the intersection of Sierra Highway and Avenue Q in Palmdale, California. Deputy Clinkunbroomer, 30, was found unconscious in his vehicle by a passerby who promptly alerted the Palmdale station of the sheriff’s department.
Deputy Clinkunbroomer was transported to Antelope Valley Medical Center in Lancaster, where he succumbed to his injuries despite medical efforts to save his life, according to Sheriff Robert Luna. The preliminary investigation suggests that the shooting was a targeted attack, although the motive and whether the deputy or the department was specifically targeted remain unknown.
Homicide investigators are reviewing surveillance footage from a nearby camera that may have captured the shooting. Sheriff Luna expressed determination to apprehend the assailant, stating that all available resources of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will be dedicated to the investigation.
Deputy Clinkunbroomer, a third-generation officer who followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and father, had been serving at the Palmdale station since July 2018. The city of Palmdale expressed its support for the sheriff’s department and condemned the act of violence. State Senator Scott Wilk also expressed his condolences, describing the news as “sickening” and “heartbreaking.”
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward.
