In a tragic case that sent shockwaves through the community, a California man’s fate was sealed as he was found guilty of fatally shooting a Los Angeles deputy. The attack, reminiscent of a drive-by ambush, occurred mere steps from the Palmdale sheriff’s station in 2023.
After an intense week-long trial, the jury convicted 32-year-old Kevin Salazar of murdering Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer on Monday, bringing a somber sense of closure to the case.
“It’s crucial that justice prevails, offering at least a modicum of relief to the family,” remarked Brad Gage, the Los Angeles lawyer representing the Clinkunbroomer family, to News Media. “This conviction provides some solace and comfort to those affected.”
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During a press conference on Tuesday, November 28, 2023, in Los Angeles, Attorney Bradley Gage stood alongside Kim and Mike Clinkunbroomer, the parents of the slain deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer. Together, they announced their intent to file a substantial lawsuit against the Sheriff’s Department. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Around 6 p.m. on Sept. 16, 2023, Clinkunbroomer pulled up to a red light down the street from the sheriff’s station in Palmdale. He was driving his marked car and wearing his uniform. As he waited for the light to turn green, another car pulled up alongside him – and a man inside shot him in the head.
Authorities said Salazar had followed Clinkunbroomer from the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station to the intersection less than a block away before opening fire with a .22 revolver. He sped off, and Clinkunbroomer was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Authorities found Salazar at his family’s home in Palmdale two days later and arrested him on murder charges after a standoff, part of which was caught on video.
Kevin Salazar is seen being taken into custody after a standoff in Palmdale, California, on suspicion of killing Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer. (KEYNEWS.TV)
Clinkunbroomer, 30, was engaged to be married at the time of his murder.
“When a parent loses a child, there’s no name for it,” Gage said. “It’s so painful, it’s so traumatic, it is so devastating that it is beyond words.”
Jurors deliberated for just 2 1/2 hours before finding Salazar guilty of first-degree murder as well as the special circumstance allegations of murder of a peace officer, lying in wait and firing from a vehicle, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
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Despite the conviction, a motive remains unclear, according to the family’s attorney.
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Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer was shot Sept. 16, 2023. (Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department)
“As far as we know, there was no reason,” Gage told News Media. “It was just execution of a police officer.”
The court will move on Wednesday to a sanity-deciding phase for Salazar, to determine whether he goes to prison or is confined in a state mental hospital after he raised an insanity defense.
A sidewalk memorial grows at the corner of Sierra Highway and Avenue Q in front of the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station for Dep. Ryan Clinkunbroomer who was shot to death near the spot on Saturday evening. Sheriff Robert Luna announced the arrest of a suspect on Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“This brutal and senseless murder took the life of a dedicated deputy, leaving his family, colleagues and community to endure an unimaginable loss. We hope today’s guilty verdict brings a measure of healing to Deputy Clinkunbroomer’s family and loved ones,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement.
Clinkunbroomer came from a law enforcement family. His grandfather, father and brother all served.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, right, comforts sheriff’s deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer’s fiancee Brittany Lindsey, second from right, joined by Clinkunbroomer’s parents, Kim and Mike Clinkunbroomer, during a news conference at the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)
“Ryan dedicated his life to service, proudly carrying on his family’s legacy as a third-generation member of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department,” Sheriff Robert Luna said after the verdict. “We will forever honor his service, his sacrifice and the badge he proudly wore. Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer will never be forgotten.”
After his death, the family sued the county, alleging that mandatory overtime and understaffing had left Clinkunbroomer exhausted and more vulnerable to the ambush, Gage said.
The county was dismissed from the lawsuit based on workers’ compensation protections, however, and the family decided not to pursue a civil case against Salazar.
Separately, the county honored Clinkunbroomer by renaming a Department of Parks and Recreation sports complex after him in January 2026.