Parents of Slain LA Deputy to Sue County Over Forced Overtime

The lawsuit alleges that excessive overtime due to severe understaffing led to Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer's death in an ambush shooting.

The parents of Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, who was killed in an ambush shooting in September, plan to sue the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and county leaders for wrongful death, alleging that their son was forced to work excessive overtime due to severe understaffing, which left him too fatigued to stay alert and avoid threats.
Clinkunbroomer had accumulated 69 hours of overtime in the two weeks leading up to the shooting and had worked a double shift the day before his death.
The lawsuit, which seeks $20 million in damages and changes to the sheriff's department's staffing and scheduling policies, claims that the department knowingly endangered the lives of law enforcement officers by enforcing excessive amounts of mandatory overtime.
The accused shooter, Kevin Cataneo Salazar, has been charged with murder and has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
The lawsuit is the precursor to a wrongful death lawsuit and names the county sheriff’s department and Board of Supervisors. County officials have 45 days to respond to the claim before a lawsuit can be filed.