Los Angeles cop Ryan Clinkunbroomer is shot and killed while sitting in his patrol car: Footage shows 19 squad cars rushing to scene as gunman remains at large following ambush
A sheriff’s deputy was ambushed and fatally shot in the head while sitting in his patrol car in Palmdale, California, on Saturday.
Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer was only 30 years old. He was engaged four days before his death and was a third-generation deputy whose father and grandfather also served on the force.
A passerby found him unconscious near Palmdale Sheriff’s Station around 6 p.m. He was taken to a hospital where he later died from his injuries.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said investigators were looking into a viral video to determine if it was connected to the deputy’s killing.
The video shows a patrol car stopped at a red light. A black sedan stops a few feet behind the car before stopping on the driver’s side. Moments later, he rolls out of the street as the patrol car rolls forward slightly and comes to a stop.
Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer was engaged just four days before his murder. He was eight years old in the police force and followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather
Surveillance footage believed to be related to the attack shows a black vehicle pulling up next to a patrol car, stopping briefly and then driving away
Aerial footage showed police lining up along the Sierra Highway in Palmdale, California, near where the killing took place
Deputy Clinkunbroomer had eight years of law enforcement experience.
He transferred to the Palmdale station in July 2018 and had been a field training officer for just under two years, training and mentoring officers.
He had reportedly dropped off an intern at the station before he was killed.
Sheriff Luna said only “the best of the best” became field training officers. He called the killing “senseless” in a Facebook post.
“From everything I know about Ryan, people absolutely loved and adored him,” Luna wrote.
‘Service flowed through his veins. He embodied the values of courage and selflessness and was committed to justice.”
He vowed that police would find Clinkunbroomer’s killer, writing, “We will use all our resources to bring the suspects responsible for Deputy Clinkunbroomer’s murder to justice.”
Videos on social media show other patrol cars responding to reports from an officer.
Police blocked the roads around Palmdale Station and cordoned off the area with yellow tape. Aerial footage showed her talking to witnesses.
Officers were seen talking to the victims and cordoning off the area with police tape. All roads surrounding Palmdale Station were closed
The deputy had worked as a field training officer for a year and a half and had just dropped off a trainee at the station when he was killed
Rumors began circulating on social media that a deputy had been shot after police scanners reported a deputy had been shot and cars were seen speeding toward the scene
Within an hour, rumors began circulating that a deputy had been shot in the head and killed.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said he was taken to a local hospital on Saturday around 10:30 p.m.
A press conference was held while the deputy was being treated. Sheriff Luna pleaded for the community’s help.
‘Someone saw something. Someone knows something,” he said.
“There is a family here in this hospital grieving an unimaginable loss. We need your help.’
The 30-year-old transferred to Palmdale Station in July 2018 and was described by colleagues as someone who ‘excelled in everything he did’
An investigation into Clinkunbroomer’s death is ongoing. Police have not yet identified any suspects
After Clinkunbroomer’s death, police and fire officials organized a large procession for the fallen officer, stretching from Lancaster to the coroner’s office in Boyle Heights.
Colleagues and members of law enforcement also left messages in his honor.
In a Facebook post, Palmdale’s Sheriff Station said they had lost “one of their own” and that the deputy “excelled in everything he did.”
“He was very thorough in his research, genuinely cared about the community he served, and was always willing to help his partners when they needed it,” the release said.
‘We are numb with grief and trying to come to terms with the fact that he has left a huge void within our station family.
“Rest assured, our hero, our friend, we’ll take it from here.”