Kevin Eduardo Cataneo Salazar was sentenced Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the September 2023 killing of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer. The 32-year-old was convicted earlier this year of murder, lying in wait, and the premeditated killing of a peace officer in connection with the ambush-style shooting outside the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station.

Clinkunbroomer, 30, a third-generation law enforcement officer who had served eight years with the Sheriff’s Department, was shot in the back of the head with a .22-caliber revolver while sitting in his patrol car. He was rushed to the Antelope Valley Medical Center in critical condition and pronounced dead that night. The fatal shooting occurred just four days after Clinkunbroomer proposed to his longtime girlfriend.

The sentencing concludes a nearly three-year legal process in which Salazar’s defense team acknowledged he fired the fatal shot but contended he was not legally sane when the crime was committed. They cited diagnoses of schizophrenia and episodes of psychosis dating back to 2019 as evidence that Salazar was unable to understand the nature or wrongfulness of his actions. The defense sought a verdict that would have resulted in Salazar’s commitment to a state mental health facility rather than prison.

However, in August, a jury rejected the insanity defense, finding Salazar sane at the time of the shooting and guilty on all counts. Prosecutors challenged the mental illness claims, emphasizing that a medical diagnosis does not necessarily meet the legal standard for insanity. They pointed to Salazar’s jailhouse recording in which he admitted harboring a longstanding intent to kill a law enforcement officer.

Salazar was arrested at his Palmdale residence five days after the shooting, where deputies recovered the firearm linked to the murder. The identification of Salazar as a suspect was aided by a motorist’s report of a recent aggressive confrontation with a driver shortly before the shooting.

In court, Clinkunbroomer’s family delivered emotionally charged statements. His mother, Kim Clinkunbroomer, said, “His life did matter, Ryan did matter, his death matters and we will carry his memory for the rest of ours.” Palmdale Mayor Eric Ohlsen expressed that the sentence “brings a measure of accountability for the brazen murder” and pledged that the city would not forget Clinkunbroomer’s sacrifice.

Sheriff Robert Luna described the fallen deputy as a hero and model employee, highlighting the impact of his loss on the department and community. In honor of Clinkunbroomer’s service, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors recently approved renaming a portion of Avenue Q in Palmdale after him.