(ConservativeSense.com) – A man accused of fatally shooting a police officer in Los Angeles has entered an insanity plea. Kevin Cataneo Salazar, a 29-year-old from Palmdale, California, shot Ryan Clinkunbroomer in the head while he was sitting at a red light in his patrol car.
Mr. Salazar’s attorney, George Rosenstock, entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity at a recent arraignment, and the suspect is held without bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles County.
No motive has been established for the killing, and Salazar attempted to avoid capture during an hours-long armed standoff with law enforcement officers prior to this arrest. His mother told the Los Angeles Times she had no idea he had a firearm; he had no criminal record, and it is unclear how he purchased the.22-caliber revolver.
Marie Salazar said her son was diagnosed with schizophrenia five years ago and has attempted suicide twice. As a result, he was hospitalized in 2021 and barred from gun ownership until 2026. Prosecutor David Ayvazian said his team is investigating Salazar’s past, adding that sheriffs have undertaken welfare checks on the family home in recent years.
The shooting occurred on September 16 in the Antelope Valley when Deputy Clinkunbroomer was stopped in traffic. A dark gray Toyota Corolla pulled up beside him, and within seconds, the 30-year-old officer had been shot by its occupant, who then sped off. Mr. Clinkunbroomer died hours later in the hospital.
His fiancée, Brittany Lindsey, said, “Ryan was the best guy I’ve ever met. I am so happy I was able to love him. It was not long enough.”
LA District Attorney George Gascón has placed a ban on prosecutors seeking the death penalty, and he hinted that this would apply in Salazar’s case. “If I thought that seeking the death penalty was going to bring Ryan back to us, I would seek it without any reservation. But it won’t,” he said.
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