PALMDALE, CA – A suspect has been apprehended in relation to the fatal shooting of Los Angeles Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, according to individuals privy to the investigation. The arrest was made on Sunday, following a tip-off that led to the identification of the suspect.
The Sheriff Department’s Special Enforcement Bureau tactical team visited a residence in Palmdale, the location of the tragic incident that took place on Saturday. At the property, they interacted with a family member of the suspect who shared crucial information about the case. The male suspect was subsequently arrested without any complications after gas was used at the site.
Deputy Clinkunbroomer was fatally shot on Saturday, Sept. 16, while stationed in his patrol vehicle at an intersection in Palmdale. Despite being rushed to the hospital, he later succumbed to his injuries.
In the wake of the incident, a reward of $250,000 was announced for information leading to an arrest. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department scheduled a press conference for 10:30 a.m. local time. Investigators also released images of a vehicle, possibly a Toyota Corolla manufactured between 2006 and 2012, believed to be connected to the fatal assault.
Sheriff Robert Luna appealed to the public for assistance during a news conference on Saturday night. Surveillance footage, which homicide investigators had access to, seemed to capture the moments preceding the fatal shooting of Clinkunbroomer.
The video, sourced from FOX 11 Los Angeles, displays a black car pulling up to the left of a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s cruiser at a traffic signal. Although the shooting itself is not visible, the black vehicle is seen driving off as the sheriff’s cruiser slowly advances and then halts. A local resident discovered the deputy in his cruiser in front of the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station and alerted other deputies.
Clinkunbroomer, an eight-year veteran of LASD, served the Palmdale and Antelope Valley communities with commendable dedication, according to Luna. The deputy’s father and grandfather also had careers in the sheriff’s department. The reason behind the shooting remains uncertain.