Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, along with county leaders and Palmdale’s mayor, on Sunday announced a reward of up to $250,000 for the identification, arrest and prosecution of the suspect or suspects involved in the fatal shooting ambush of Deputy Ryan “Clink” Clinkunbroomer in the Antelope Valley Saturday night.
“Sheriff’s department personnel have worked around the clock in an attempt to find these suspects – it could be one, it could be two – in Ryan’s murder,” Luna said at the press conference.
Clinkunbroomer, 30, an eight-year veteran of the sheriff’s department, was found unconscious in his police cruiser and suffering from gunshot wounds by a citizen around 6 p.m. near the intersection of Sierra Highway and Avenue Q in Palmdale. He was rushed to the Antelope Valley Medical Center where he later died as a result of his injuries.
The shooting was an ambush involving a suspect or suspects in a vehicle driving past Deputy Clinkunbroomer when they fired at him. He was on duty and sitting in his squad car when the shooting took place.
“Ryan wasn’t only a deputy Sheriff for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, he was a son, a grandson. He had just been engaged 4 days ago. He had so much ahead of him,” Luna said.
While authorities are investigating security footage that shows a dark colored car, which Luna referred to as a “vehicle of interest,” driving up to the deputy’s patrol unit, he asked the public for any additional video that anyone in the area of Sierra Highway and Avenue Q at 6 p.m. on Saturday might have.
“I’m going to continuously refer to [the suspects] as cowards, because that’s what they are – cowards – to attack a deputy sheriff in uniform in a black and white, who is just sitting there at a red light about to go out and serve our community,” Luna said.
The vehicle of interest that officials are asking for the public’s help in identifying is described as a dark gray 2006-2012 Toyota Corolla.
“Again, check your cameras, check your cameras,” Luna said. “That could be the missing link to the information that we need.”
Los Angeles County Board Supervisor Kathryn Barger also spoke at the press conference, announcing a motion she plans introduce at Tuesday’s supervisors meeting to establish a $100,000 reward leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the deadly ambush.
“This heinous deed will not…go unpunished,” Barger added. “Whoever committed this cowardly act will be caught. The person or persons will be held accountable. I make that promise to you.”
Sheriff Luna later explained the city of Palmdale will be matching the county’s $100,000 reward, and that the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS) have pledged $50,000, bringing the total to $250,000.
“There are other individuals and cities who are calling us in the last hours who are graciously trying to add more to that,” Luna said. “A reward is a reward. It’s one of the highest ones I’ve seen, but I’m challenging people’s characters out there, to find this act absolutely unacceptable and come forward…we need you.”
A candlelight vigil was held outside the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station at 7 p.m. Sunday.
Anyone with information is asked to call LASD at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be submitted to L.A. Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.
The full LASD press conference can be seen in the video player at the bottom of this page.
