Deputy Killed in Ambush Attack

(UnitedVoice.com) – On September 12, Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer proposed to the love of his life. Four days later, the Los Angeles, California, police officer was killed. Law enforcement has now made an arrest in the case.

Clinkunbroomer left the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station to begin his night shift on September 16, just before 6 p.m. local time. A short while later, a passerby contacted 911 after discovering the deputy wounded in his squad car at a light. First responders rushed him to Antelope Valley Medical Center. The 30-year-old officer died from a gunshot wound later that evening.

In the immediate aftermath of the murder, Sheriff Robert Luna called on the community to help and released a photo of a car they believed was involved in the shooting. The sheriff said Clinkunbroomer was a third-generation deputy with the department; his father and grandfather both served there as well.

On Monday, September 18, the sheriff’s department announced a suspect was in custody. According to a press release, the LA County Sheriff Department Special Enforcement Bureau executed a search warrant early that morning and located Kevin Cataneo Salazar.

Kevin Cataneo Salazar, 29, was taken into custody early Monday morning after barricading himself in a home for several hours, Sheriff Robert Luna said during a press conference.

Salazar is accused of shooting Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, a 30-year-old field training officer, as… pic.twitter.com/mtVy011Isk

— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) September 18, 2023

The 29-year-old suspect reportedly barricaded himself inside the home but was eventually apprehended. Investigators confiscated guns and identified the vehicle allegedly used in the murder. Police have not released a motive for the shooting.

Marle Salazar, the suspect’s mother, told reporters that her son was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia five years ago. She claimed he thought people were following him and has tried to kill himself twice. “My son is mentally ill,” she told the LA Times.

Clinkunbroomer’s parents released a statement through the department praising their son for his dedication to the community. They went on to say that he was “recently engaged to the love of his life” and would be “greatly missed by his family, friends, and” colleagues. The slain deputy’s parents asked that everyone respect their privacy and keep the family in their prayers.