PALMDALE, CA – A deputy from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was fatally shot while in his patrol car near the Palmdale station on Saturday, as confirmed by Sheriff Robert Luna. The deputy, identified as Ryan Clinkunbroomer, was attacked when an unidentified vehicle approached his patrol car and fired shots into it.
The fatal shooting was captured on surveillance footage, which showed a black car pulling up next to the deputy’s vehicle. Although no shots were visible in the video, the car was seen speeding off, leaving the deputy’s cruiser to roll forward slightly before coming to a halt. Sheriff Luna referred to the black car as a “vehicle of interest” and identified it as a dark gray Toyota Corolla, model years 2006-2012.
Clinkunbroomer was found unconscious in his patrol car near the intersection of Sierra Highway and Avenue Q by a passerby, who then alerted other deputies. The deputy was initially transported to the hospital in his cruiser, but was later transferred to an ambulance en route. Another deputy drove the cruiser to Antelope Valley Medical Center in Lancaster, where Clinkunbroomer later succumbed to his injuries. Sheriff Luna appealed to the public for assistance in apprehending the suspect or suspects.
Clinkunbroomer had been stationed at Palmdale since 2018 and had served as a field training officer for over a year. Luna described him as a third-generation law enforcement officer, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. A reward of $250,000 has been offered in exchange for information that leads to the arrest and prosecution of the suspect.
The last deputy from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to be killed in the line of duty was Sgt. Steve Owen in 2016. Other recent losses to the department include Deputy Alejandro Martinez, who died in July after being hit by a wrong-way driver in November 2022, and Deputy Steve Belanger, who passed away in 2018 from a gunshot wound sustained in 1994.