Jury finds man was sane when he killed L.A. County sheriff's deputy at a Palmdale stoplight

Jurors have found a Palmdale man legally sane at the time he shot and killed Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer in 2023. 

Wednesday's sanity decision was reached after a day and a half of deliberations.

Earlier this month, jurors found Kevin Salazar guilty of first-degree murder after deliberating for about two and a half hours, finding true the special circumstance allegations of murder of a peace officer, lying in wait, and firing from a vehicle.  

Salazar had entered dual pleas of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity.

"The defense presented a number of experts to make this point, but by methodically going through the evidence of what Mr. Salazar did before the crime, during the crime, and after the crime, these prosecutors got a verdict today by this jury that Mr. Salazar was not legally insane. He was legally sane," Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said.

Clinkunbroomer was shot and killed, ambush-style, just after leaving the Palmdale station on Sept. 16 as he sat and waited at a red light in his work vehicle. He was found slumped over the wheel of his patrol vehicle.

LASD Sheriff Robert Luna called it a random act of ambush, violence.

"I got to remind everybody why Ryan was murdered -- randomly because he wore the uniform of a Los Angeles County deputy, and he was driving in a black and white vehicle that said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department," Luna said.  

Clinkunbroomer's family collectively served Los Angeles County in law enforcement for 121 years, starting with his great-grandfather joining the sheriff's department in 1937. Ryan served with the department for eight years before his death.

Salazar faces a life prison term without the possibility of parole for killing the 30-year-old deputy in an ambush style.

Salazar is due back before the Los Angeles County Superior Court judge for sentencing on Oct. 1.