Arrest made in ambush killing of LA Sheriff’s Deputy: sources

An arrest has been made in the shooting death of Los Angeles Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, sources close to the investigation told Fox News on Monday. 

Sources told Fox News that a suspect was identified Sunday following a tip. The sheriff department’s Special Enforcement Bureau tactical team then went to a home in Palmdale – where the shooting of Clinkunbroomer happened Saturday – and made contact with a relative of the suspect who provided specific details about the case.

The male suspect inside that home then was taken into custody without incident after gas was deployed at the property, the sources added.

Clinkunbroomer was shot on Saturday, Sept. 16, while he was in his patrol vehicle at an intersection in Palmdale and later “succumbed to his injuries,” authorities said.

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Police last night announced a reward of $250,000 for information leading to an arrest in the case. A press conference has been scheduled for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for 10:30 a.m. local time.

Investigators had also released images of a vehicle – possibly a Toyota Corolla between the model years of 2006 to 2012 – sought in connection to the fatal attack.

“We really need your help,” Sheriff Robert Luna said during a news conference Saturday night. “We need to get this guy off the street — guy or guys. He ambushed and killed one of our deputies. We need your help to get him off the street.”

Surveillance video that homicide investigators were aware of appeared to show the moments before Clinkunbroomer was shot in the back of the head and killed.

The video, obtained by FOX 11 Los Angeles, shows a black car pulling up to the left of a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s cruiser at a red light. It is not possible to see any shots fired, but the black vehicle drives away as the sheriff’s cruiser slowly rolls forward and then comes to a stop.

A citizen saw the deputy slumped in his cruiser in front of the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station in Palmdale and went inside the station to alert other deputies.  

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Clinkunbroomer was initially taken to the hospital in his cruiser, but an ambulance caught up with them on the way, according to FOX 11.

Clinkunbroomer was then put in an ambulance, and another deputy took his cruiser to a medical center in Lancaster.

The motive for the shooting is unclear.

Clinkunbroomer was an eight-year veteran of LASD who served the Palmdale and Antelope Valley communities with “absolute distinction,” Luna said.

The deputy’s father and grandfather also worked for the sheriff’s department.

 

“I want to let to our community know Deputy Clinkunbroomer left his family tonight to serve our community, Luna posted to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “He laid everything on the line to serve us. He wore a uniform just like other @LASDHQ deputies wear, driving in a police car, and he was senselessly murdered tonight.”

Fox News Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Bill Melugin, Landon Mion and the Associated Press contributed to this report.