The parents of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, who tragically lost his life in a September shooting, are expected to file a $20 million lawsuit against L.A. County, the sheriff’s department and the city of Palmdale, alleging that the department’s rampant overtime created a safety hazard, ultimately leading to their son’s death.
Michael and Kim Clinkunbroomer filed a government claim on November 27, a prerequisite for suing a government agency, in which they cited wrongful death, assault and civil rights violations.
Brad Gage, the Clinkunbroomers’ attorney, argued that while the county did not directly cause the shooting, it contributed to a hazardous working environment.
“The county did not pull the trigger,” Gage stated during a news conference. “But what the county did is help to facilitate this tragic and needless death.”
The lawsuit goes on to accuse Sheriff Robert Luna and the L.A. County Board of Supervisors of forcing employees, including Deputy Clinkunbroomer, to work more than 100 hours of overtime a month, which led to an unsafe working environment.
Additionally, the claim contends that Luna and the board were aware of the dangers of forced overtime but required it nonetheless.
Gage highlighted longstanding complaints from sheriff’s officials about being understaffed and their repeated requests for additional funding, which were allegedly denied by the Board of Supervisors.
Specifically, Gage pointed out that approximately 41% of night shifts at the Palmdale station were being filled by officers working overtime.
According to the Clinkunbroomers, Ryan had worked overnight into the morning on the day of the incident. He returned home around 8 a.m. to sleep for a few hours before his 4 p.m. shift, during which he was ambushed just two hours later.
“I fully believe that if my son was not overworked, that he would have been in a better position to not be where he is today,” Kim Clinkunbroomer said.
The family, with a history spanning four generations in law enforcement, stressed that the lawsuit is about more than money; it’s a call for change in the treatment of law enforcement officers.
“Money is only part of it, a very small part of it, to be quite frank with you,” Kim said. “It’s about change. It’s about change in the way these guys are treated.”
The LASD, the county and Palmdale have 45 days to respond to the Clinkunbroomer’s claim. If there is no resolution, the family plans to file a lawsuit early next year.
In response to the impending legal action, the LASD issued a statement expressing condolences to the Clinkunbroomer family and reassuring their commitment to a successful prosecution of the individual responsible for Deputy Clinkunbroomer’s murder.
