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Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón's decision not to seek the death sentence against the man accused of killing their son, LASD Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, has left the victim's family reeling.
In a recent interview, Kim Clinkunbroomer, the mother of the deputy, emphasized the family's shock and outrage at the DA's judgment. Her "state of shock" was explained by the news that Gascón would not be seeking the death penalty against the defendant, Kevin Salazar, 29.
In her words, Kim Clinkunbroomer said, “With life in prison … I’m still paying for that as a parent." She felt it was unfair that the District Attorney was willing to provide clemency when her son had been taken so senselessly.
Investigators believe Palmdale Sheriff's Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer was murdered on September 16 while waiting at a red light in his patrol cruiser near the Palmdale Sheriff's Station. The suspect Kevin Salazar, 29, has been detained and is being held without bail. , He was apprehended by police two days after the horrific event, during a standoff at his Palmdale home. Ryan Clinkunbroomer's mother and fiancee, Brittany Lindsey, appeared with Gascón and LA County Sheriff Robert Luna last Wednesday to announce murder charges against Salazar.
At a press conference, Gascón said, "I would seek the death penalty without hesitation if I thought it would bring Ryan back to us." It won't, in fact. I would support the death sentence if I believed it would deter murder. But as everyone knows, that's not conceivable. Both crime prevention and criminal reform are not achieved by the death sentence.”
Gavin Newsom has stopped executions and declared that he would not let anyone to be put to death because he believes it is wrong to take a human life knowingly.What's even more puzzling is that the death sentence hasn't reduced crime rates or improved community safety in the United States. The death penalty was an expensive mistake made by the government, and even if there is no legal recourse, once a crime is committed, it cannot be undone.
His mother thinks the case is straightforward because Salazar has reportedly admitted to killing Ryan Clinkunbroomer, as reported by ABC News. ''We shouldn't even be going to court,'' Kim Clinkenbroomer told GMA. And I apologize to the governor who halted executions. Things have had to alter.
The cry for justice from the Clinkunbroomer family is shared by those who have lost loved ones to crime. They see the death penalty to be a deterrence against other acts of violence and a means of providing closure for victims. Their cries may go unheard, though, given California's current ban on the death sentence.
The Clinkunbroomers and other families like theirs continue to suffer even as the debate over the death penalty rages on. In addition to mourning their son, the family must deal with a legal system that, in their opinion, may not provide the closure they need.
The plight of the Clinkunbroomer family vividly illustrates the never-ending discussion of whether or not to use the death sentence in cases of serious crime. The human factor and the families left to deal with the consequences of these horrible crimes must not be forgotten as society struggles with these challenges.
