A person of interest has been detained in the suspected ambush killing of a newly-engaged Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy in his patrol car, officials said Monday.
The sheriff’s office announced the update in the death of Ryan Clinkunbroomer, but no information was immediately available on the person of interest or the circumstances.
The sheriff’s office said in an early-morning post on X, formerly Twitter, that a press conference will be held at 1:30 p.m. ET to offer an update on the case.
Clinkunbroomer, 30, was fatally shot in the head while sitting in his patrol car near the Palmdale sheriff’s station Saturday evening — just four days after he had gotten engaged.
“He was just driving down the street,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said during a press conference Saturday, “and for no apparent reason – and we’re still looking into the specific reasons – somebody decided to shoot and murder him, I’m assuming at this point, because he was in uniform.”
The deputy was rushed to the Antelope Valley Medical Center, where he died from his injuries.
Investigators said they believe Clinkunbroomer was ambushed and executed in cold blood without any apparent provocation.
Surveillance video obtained by the sheriff’s office showed a dark gray Toyota Corolla pulling up to the deputy’s patrol vehicle at a red light just before the cowardly shooting.
The sheriff’s office had released screenshots of the suspicious vehicle and announced a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the gunman.
“We’re gonna catch the person who did this,” Luna said before the person of interest was detained. “Every resource that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has to bear is going after you.”
Clinkunbroomer was an 8-year veteran of the force and had been a field training officer for nearly two years.
He was a third-generation member of the sheriff’s office, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.
“He embodied the values of bravery, selflessness and an absolute commitment to justice,” Luna said. “Our deputy was a devoted family member and a cherished member of our community who was cowardly shot while working tirelessly to serve our community. Our hearts absolutely go out to his family.”
Just four days before his senseless killing, Clinkunbroomer had proposed to his girlfriend and was “just starting his life,” said the sheriff.
Some 1,000 people attended a vigil honoring the slain deputy outside the sheriff’s station in Palmdale Sunday night.
