Jury rules defendant sane, confirming life term for deputy's murder

On Wednesday, a jury in Antelope Valley rejected the insanity defense raised by Kevin Eduardo Cataneo Salazar, determining he was sane when he shot L.A. County sheriff’s deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer in the back of the head outside the Palmdale sheriff’s station in September 2023. Although the killing itself was undisputed, Salazar’s lawyer and family argued he suffered from severe mental illness and heard voices urging self-harm.

Prosecutors presented recordings of Salazar expressing a long-standing desire to kill a police officer and evidence that he legally bought the.22-caliber revolver used in the attack. The verdict obliges Salazar to serve life in a California prison without the possibility of parole. Deputy Clinkunbroomer, a 30-year-old third-generation officer, was praised by Sheriff Robert Luna as a model colleague and aspiring detective. The case highlights ongoing concerns about firearm access and the use of mental-health defenses in violent crimes.