(Originally published on AUN-TV.)
Thanks to the work of the LAPD and Clinkunbroomer’s family, a suspect has been arrested in the fatal shooting. And Michael Letts gives praise to them.
There is nothing as heartbreaking as losing an officer in the line of duty. Especially someone that was ambushed by a coward that had nothing better to do than take such a life. It angers me.
On the night of September 16, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, a young man, was shot and killed when a vehicle pulled up next to his, with the then-unidentified suspect shooting him and driving away. Clinkunbroomer would later succumb to his injuries.
Shooting such as this sometimes go unresolved, mainly due to a lack of evidence or not being able to get clear sight of the suspect. But, thankfully, that wasn’t the case this time.
The Los Angeles Police Department worked diligently, alongside the deputy’s grandfather and father, who had been part of “three generations” of law enforcement within the family. And thanks to a tip from community members, a suspect was eventually found.
It was there that the Special Enforcement Bureau tactical team would spring into action, visiting the reported suspect’s home in Palmdale and surrounding the residence. While family members were able to come out peacefully, the suspect barricaded himself in the home (like the coward he is). It took the team several hours to try and coax him out, only to have to turn to chemical agents to get him to surrender.
Following the arrest of the suspect, 29 year old Kevin Salazar, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna offered praise to those that were quickly able to find him.
“I want to take a pause here for a second when I talk about how proud I am of this department after a significant tragedy that we’ve shared with all of you, because those special enforcement deputies took the time to try to de-escalate this and take this individual peacefully into custody when they knew that our deputy was not afforded the same opportunity,” he said. “He never gave our deputy a chance, but yet our men and women gave this individual a chance to take him into custody peacefully.”
And this is something I want many to take note of. A number of people out there – particularly those that helped the “defund the police” movement over the past few years – don’t seem to realize that there are many officers out there that are doing their job. They’re not against the community, they’re trying to protect it. And they’re not going door to door with brutal tactics, they’re going after suspects in a trained and professional manner. With the way media and some Democrats are these days, it’s very easy to lose sight of that.
Luna put it best during the recent news conference. “Our officers, our deputies go out and serve this community every day, putting their lives on the line. So we have a lot to be thankful for that we have men and women who volunteered to do this and families who kiss them goodbye and just pray that they come back home,” he noted. “And in this case, Ryan’s family will never see him again.”
It’s a heartbreaking truth. We lose officers every day in the line of duty, and some of those stories never even make it out to the public, depending on the details surrounding their individual cases. And yet so many are quick to dismiss a lost officer as a “good thing,” since they’re just “so bad” at doing their job.
But are they? I can’t speak for the entirety of the police divisions out there, but a majority are good people just trying to make do in a world gone crazy. People are getting shot for no reason whatsoever (like Clinkunbroomer – I feel for his family and friends), and yet there are those that still think “defund the police” is a good idea. It isn’t. These are officers worth keeping, and worth taking care of. I know a number of politicians that agree with this statement, even if there are so many others that don’t.
I hope they take a good, long look at what happened with this situation and realize just how human these police officers are. Because, at the end of the day, they’re just like you and me – people trying to make a difference. Remember that.
About Michael Letts:
Michael Letts is the Founder, President, and CEO of InVest USA, a national grassroots non-profit organization that is helping hundreds of communities provide thousands of bulletproof vests for their police forces through educational, public relations, sponsorship, and fundraising programs. He also has over 30 years of law enforcement experience under his belt, hence his pro-police stance for his brothers and sisters in blue. Those interested in learning more about Letts can visit his official website here.
