LA County Sheriff Luna: DA Gascon assures aggressive prosecution of suspect in deputy's ambush killing

September 18, 2023 at 19:39

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said he hopes the office of progressive District Attorney George Gascon will prosecute the man suspected in the ambush killing of one of his deputies over the weekend to the fullest extent.
Clinkunbroomer was shot Saturday just outside the Palmdale Sheriff's Station, northeast of downtown Los Angeles.
The case will be reviewed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, which will decide what charges, if any, will be filed against the 29-year-old Salazar.
Despite the pushback, Gascon has survived two recall attempts but faces challenges in the upcoming election from three of his own deputy district attorneys.
"I was at the candlelight vigil for Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer last night with my family and friends," Los Angeles County prosecutor, Johnathan Hatami, one of Gascon's challengers, wrote on social media Monday.
How can we get the case away from him?’"Richard Pippin, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS), said it's now up to Gascon to decide to move the case forward.
Clinkunbroomer was found unconscious with a gunshot wound in his patrol vehicle outside the Sheriff's Palmdale station.
Luna described the killing as a targeted ambush.
During the search for the killer, investigators released images of a vehicle sought in connection to the fatal attack.
His family described him as a hardworking deputy who was "dedicated" to his job.
Ryan made the ultimate sacrifice in doing so," the family said in a statement read by Luna.
"As our firstborn son, Ryan will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and the sheriff's department as a whole," he added.