A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy, Deputy Ryan Clinkubroomer, was shot Saturday, September 16th at night in his patrol vehicle outside the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station at the corner of Sierra Highway and Avenue Q. A local pedestrian found the deputy unconscious inside the vehicle around 6 p.m, Clinkunbroomer was quickly rushed to the Antelope Valley Medical Center in Lancaster where he later died.
The suspect was on the loose for two days until they caught him. Kevin Cataneo Salazar was charged with the murder of Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, who was waiting at a red light in his patrol car on Saturday when he was attacked. Los Angeles police have said that “Cataneo Salazar denied all special allegations in the complaint, which accuses him of intentionally killing the deputy with a .22 caliber revolver “by means of lying-in-wait,” referring to an ambush-style killing.”
Clinkunbroomer was an eight-year veteran of the department and had been with the Palmdale station since July 2018. Over the past year and a half he had been working as a field training officer, “Not just anybody becomes a field training officer, it’s usually the best of the best,” said Sheriff Robert Luna when ABC7 News interviewed her. Sheriff Ryan Clinkunbroomer came from a law enforcement family, his father and grandfather both worked for the L.A. sheriff’s department.
Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer graduated from West Ranch High School in Stevenson Ranch thirteen years ago. At the start of West Ranch’s game against Valencia, students took to the field to honor Clinkunbroomer, School staff said Clinkunbroomer, who graduated from West Ranch in 2010, left a legacy that they all would honor. Clinkunbroomer left his handprint in West Ranch High School proudly displayed on the school’s production studio wall with the nickname “Clink” right next to it. The Saugus Scroll family sends our condolences to the Clinkunbroomer family and the Palmdale Sheriff station, as Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer was a former Wildcat at West Ranch High School the whole Santa Clarita Valley sends prayers to his family and friends, and hope his legacy stays alive and represents Santa Clarita in a positive way.
