Palmdale, Calif. – A Los Angeles County jury delivered a guilty verdict on Monday in the murder trial of Kevin Salazar, 32, for the execution‑style killing of Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer. The verdict came after a week of testimony and deliberations that lasted just two and a half hours.
Details of the ambush
On September 16, 2023, Deputy Clinkunbroomer, 30, was stopped at a red light just steps from the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station. Wearing his uniform and driving a marked patrol vehicle, he was approached by another car. A man inside opened fire with a .22 revolver, striking the deputy in the head. He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Authorities say Salazar followed the deputy from the station to the intersection, less than a block away, before firing from his vehicle. After the shooting, Salazar fled the scene. Two days later, law enforcement located him at his family’s home in Palmdale and arrested him following a standoff that was partially captured on video.
Trial and conviction
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged Salazar with first‑degree murder, including special circumstances for the murder of a peace officer, lying in wait, and firing from a vehicle. The jury found him guilty on all counts.
Brad Gage, the Los Angeles attorney representing Deputy Clinkunbroomer’s family, told Fox News Digital that the conviction offers “some solace” to a family that has lost a son, fiancé, and third‑generation law‑enforcement officer. “When a parent loses a child, there’s no name for it,” Gage said, emphasizing the profound grief felt by the family.
Next steps
Salazar’s case now moves to a sanity‑determination phase, where the court will decide whether he will serve his sentence in prison or be confined to a state mental hospital after raising an insanity defense.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman issued a statement calling the murder “brutal and senseless,” and expressed hope that the verdict would bring a measure of healing to the deputy’s family, colleagues, and the broader community.
Family and community response
Deputy Clinkunbroomer came from a family with deep roots in law enforcement; his grandfather, father and brother all served as deputies. Sheriff Robert Luna praised the fallen officer’s dedication, noting that the badge he wore will never be forgotten.
Following the deputy’s death, his family filed a wrongful‑death lawsuit alleging that mandatory overtime and understaffing left him vulnerable to the ambush. The county was dismissed from the suit under workers’ compensation protections, and the family chose not to pursue civil action against Salazar.
In January 2026, the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation honored Deputy Clinkunbroomer by renaming a sports complex after him, cementing his legacy within the community.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
