4:14
- ABC News
- September 27, 2023
Deputy's mom angry over death penalty decision
Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, 30, was on duty when he was shot and killed.
4:14
The LA County District Attorney's Office told ABC News in a statement Tuesday, \"We have nothing but compassion for the family of Deputy Clinkunbroomer. They are experiencing an unthinkable loss. Nothing that can happen in the criminal justice system will ever repair the harm of losing someone so beloved. He is a fallen hero who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. May his memory be a guiding light, reminding us of the profound sacrifices made by those who wear the badge.”
The suspected killer, 29-year-old Kevin Salazar, is charged with murder with special circumstances. If convicted he'll face life in prison without the possibility of parole, prosecutors said.
Salazar's attorney has entered a plea of not guilty and a dual plea of not guilty by reason of insanity on his behalf.
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/la-ambush-suspect-ht-jt-230920_1695232884811_hpMain_4x3t_384.jpg\")
As the case moves forward, the Clinkunbroomer family is trying to cope with their overwhelming grief.
Ryan Clinkunbroomer was an eight-year veteran of the sheriff's office. His father, grandfather and great-grandfather also served with the LA County sheriff's department.
His mother called it his calling.
\"He went out to patrol as soon as he could. A couple of times he was offered a job inside, and he thought the schedule would be better with his fiancee. And he said, 'Mom, I can't do it. I need to be out in that car. I need to be out doing what policemen do,'\" his mother said. \"He loved it every day and he did it with pride every day.\"
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/palmdale-dep_hpEmbed_20230918-045320_3x2_384.jpg\")
The 30-year-old proposed to his fiancee, pediatric ICU nurse Brittany Lindsey, just four days before he was killed.
\"He was just the most thoughtful, most respectful, loving, caring person I've ever met in my life,\" Lindsey told ABC News. \"I'm just so grateful to have met and loved him.\"
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/interview-abc-ml-230927_1695816497270_hpMain_4x3t_384.jpg\")
\"I know he would have made a great husband and father one day,\" she added.
\"Every day that he went to work, I prayed for him. I prayed that he'd just come home safe,\" Lindsey said. \"A lot of nights I couldn't sleep. I would just watch the clock waiting for him to come home.\"
I want to let to our community know Deputy Clinkunbroomer left his family tonight to serve our community. 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. pic.twitter.com/Jqc2sSB63c
— Robert Luna (@LACoSheriff) September 17, 2023
Kim Clinkunbroomer said she wants the public to \"back law enforcement more.\"
\"These guys risk their lives every single day for us,\" she said.
She also showed her appreciation for the LA sheriff's department, who she said has \"been nothing short of spectacular\" in their shared time of mourning.
\"I wish I could sit down with each and every one of them and thank them,\" she said.
Just 11 days after her son's slaying, Kim Clinkunbroomer said, \"These are hard days, and our feet feel like they're in mud.\"
\"But we'll get out of that mud. We'll get out of that mud for him and for the legacy that he's going to continue to live on, because we won't let his legacy die.\"
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