Police officer shot in head and killed sitting in car days after getting engaged

19 September 2023 , 12:58

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Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer was tragically shot on Saturday (September 16) (Image: LACoSheriff)

A recently-engaged Los Angeles sheriff’s deputy was shot in the head while sitting in his patrol car on Saturday, police have said.

Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, 30, was found unconscious at around 6pm outside Palmdale sheriff’s station on Saturday, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. Mr Clinkunbroomer was taken to hospital in Antelope Valley Medical Centre, Lancaster, where he was in critical condition - before tragically passing.

Luna said of the potential motive behind the attack: “I’m assuming at this point because he was in uniform. That, to me, is sickening.” The gunman is yet to be found and apprehended by the police.

County Sheriff Robert Luna appealed to the public for information (ABC7)

The sheriff revealed Mr Clinkunbroomer had become engaged to his girlfriend just four days earlier, adding they will “catch the person who did this”. He warned the perpetrator : “Every resource that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has to bear is going after you.”

Police cordoned off a large area outside the station, 60 miles northeast of Downtown Los Angeles, to begin the investigation. A video from a bystander showed patrol cars taking the deputy to hospital after the senseless shooting, according to the New York Post.

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A video showing a car pulling up behind a LASD car around the time of the shooting is being investigated according to Luna. Reviewed by Fox News reporter Bill Melugin, the video allegedly shows a black car pulling up next to the deputy, who was stationary at a red light near the station. The black car drives away while the deputy’s car moves forward, slowly coming to a stop.

Luna appealed to the public for any information on who might be behind the killing. He said: “We really need your help. We need to get this guy off the street. Guy or guys. He’s a public safety threat. He ambushed and killed one of our deputies.”

Clinkunbroomer has worked at Palmdale station since July 2018, having spent 8 years at the department before his killing. He followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, who both were members of the LASD.

Luna added: “Just about everybody worked with his father. We’re hurting because we lost somebody. It always hurts. They try to prepare you for this and no matter how much they do, it hurts bad.”

Alex Croft