Colleagues of Palmdale Sheriff’s Station Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer praised the attitude and professionalism of the West Ranch High School graduate who was gunned down Saturday in his patrol vehicle in front of the station where he served.
Clinkunbroomer, who joined the Sheriff’s Department in 2015, was a third-generation deputy who was murdered just four days after the 30-year-old became engaged, according to a statement from the Association of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs.
“Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer made the ultimate sacrifice while responding to the call of duty to safeguard our community,” said the statement from ALADS President Richard Pippin. “This devastating loss should remind everyone of our law enforcement officers’ unwavering dedication and selflessness, whether on or off-duty.”
West Ranch High School teacher Adam Holland recalled having Clinkunbroomer in his 10th-grade world history class.
“A lot of people have said, ‘You don’t forget a name like Clinkunbroomer — and so when I saw his name, it was an instant, ‘Oh, I know Ryan,’” said Holland, who was describing how some of his colleagues past and present shared similar fond memories of the alum on social media.
“And I remember having him in class — and an absolutely solid, solid guy,” Holland said, adding that he hadn’t kept up with Clinkunbroomer, “but when I heard what he had become in the Sheriff’s Department and what people talked about his character, it was, ‘Oh yeah, that was the same Ryan that we had at West Ranch.”
Another teacher shared with him that he could light up any room he was in, he added.
While a suspect is in custody and an active investigation is underway into the circumstances of the shooting, Clinkunbroomer’s coworkers Monday shared statements similar to Pippin’s, explaining the importance of the relatively young deputy’s role in not only keeping his community safe, but also his coworkers.
The job entails providing on-the-job training to his fellow deputy, according to Sheriff’s Information Bureau Sgt. Bryan Moreno, but perhaps most importantly, “involves training and mentoring and evaluating new field deputies while performing regular patrol duties and ensuring the safety of the trainee and others.
“It’s a huge responsibility, a huge undertaking, especially that last part, ensuring the safety of the trainee, yourself and others,” Moreno said, adding while the job can be tough, being responsible for the safety of someone else who’s new and still learning the potential dangers of the job is extremely difficult.
Clinkunbroomer became a field training deputy about a year and a half ago after transferring from the department’s custody division to Palmdale in 2018, according to sheriff’s officials.
Lt. Oscar Martinez, who was working as watch commander in Palmdale Monday afternoon, called Clinkunbroomer “an outstanding and hardworking deputy” in a phone interview.
“He was a field training officer and he always made sure he looked out for his trainees and made sure that his trainees were prepared to go and protect our community,” Martinez said.
He was “one of our best FTOs,” Martinez said, using the department’s acronym for Clinkunbroomer’s job.
“Service was running through his veins,” Sheriff Robert Luna said during an online video address shortly after Clinkunbroomer’s murder. “He embodied the values of bravery, selflessness and was committed to justice. Our deputy was a devoted family member and a cherished community member. He was cowardly shot while working tirelessly to serve our community this evening.”