Person of interest detained after LA sheriff’s deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer was shot dead in ‘targeted’ ambush: Authorities offer $250,000 reward as photos of suspect’s car released

A person of interest has been arrested after Los Angeles sheriff’s deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer was killed in a “targeted” ambush in his patrol car just days after he got engaged.

The news comes after authorities offered a $250,000 reward in the hunt for a suspect and released grainy surveillance video of a dark-colored sedan driving next to the patrol car moments before the shooting.

Clinkunbroomer, 30, died at a hospital after he was found unconscious in the vehicle while on duty in the town of Palmdale on Saturday around 6 p.m., Sheriff Robert Luna said.

Luna said he believed the shooting was a “targeted attack,” but the motive, and whether Clinkunbroomer or the department at large was targeted, remains unclear.

“Without warning, he was murdered while serving our community,” an emotional Luna said at a news conference Sunday. “Please, I beg you. Someone has information. Make things right.”

Luna said investigators believe the “vehicle of interest” is a gray Toyota Corolla manufactured between 2006 and 2012.

ABC News was the first to report the detention of the person in question, but said police provided no additional details about their identity.

According to local reports, a vehicle matching the description of the “vehicle of interest” was towed from a Palmdale neighborhood Monday morning.

Video shows Clinkunbroomer’s 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.

Clinkunbroomer was found near the intersection of Sierra Highway and Avenue Q in Palmdale by a person Luna, identified as a “Good Samaritan,” who alerted personnel at the city’s sheriff’s office.

The deputy was taken to Antelope Valley Medical Center in Lancaster, where he was treated for a gunshot wound and ultimately died.

“We’re going to catch the person who did this,” Luna said Saturday evening. “Because every resource the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has to offer is going after you.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom called the killing “heinous, unconscionable and shocking.” He ordered flags at the capitol to be flown at half-mast in Clinkunbroomer’s honor.

Clinkunbroomer, who moved to the Palmdale station in July 2018, was a third-generation officer who followed his grandfather and father into the sheriff’s department, Luna said.

“At this time of mourning, we honor this legacy and extend our deepest condolences to Deputy Clinkunbroomer’s fiancée, his loved ones, and the men and women of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department,” Newsom said in a statement Sunday. “Deputy Clinkunbroomer’s dedication to the community and country will never be forgotten.”

The sheriff said his department was working closely with representatives from the city of Palmdale, about 60 miles (98 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles.

“Palmdale loves its deputies, and its deputies take great care of Palmdale and love our community as well,” Mayor Laura Bettencourt said at the news conference. “The person who did this is a coward. and they will be caught.”

“It’s sickening, heartbreaking news,” Republican Sen. Scott Wilk, who represents Palmdale, posted Saturday evening on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

A vigil was planned for Clinkunbroomer outside the Palmdale Police Department on Sunday evening.

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.”

Clinkunbroomer was a third-generation sheriff’s 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.

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.

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.”