A jury in Los Angeles concluded Wednesday that Kevin Eduardo Cataneo Salazar was legally sane when he fatally shot Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer in 2023, according to FOX 11 Los Angeles. The panel reached the decision after roughly one and a half days of deliberations.

Salazar, 32, had already been convicted the previous week of first-degree murder in the September 16, 2023, shooting. Jurors also affirmed special circumstance findings that included the murder of a peace officer, lying in wait, and discharging a firearm from a vehicle, along with personal use of a .22-caliber revolver.

The sanity phase followed Salazar's dual plea of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity. A finding of insanity would have directed him to a state hospital rather than prison. The verdict instead leaves him facing a sentence of life in prison without parole.

Outside the courtroom, the defendant's sister, Jessica Salazar, described the outcome as sad and unfair. She stated that her brother had a documented mental condition dating to 2019 and that the family had sought help rather than freedom, while noting the trial felt unfair because the victim was an officer and they were civilians.

Sheriff Robert Luna attended the reading of the verdict. He and District Attorney Nathan Hochman were scheduled to address reporters later that day. Clinkunbroomer, who became engaged four days before the attack, was shot in the head while seated in a marked patrol vehicle in Palmdale and died later at Antelope Valley Medical Center.

Prosecutors described the attack as a targeted act of retaliation against law enforcement. Defense attorneys argued that Salazar suffered from schizophrenia diagnosed in 2019, including delusions and auditory hallucinations, and presented three doctors who concluded he could not distinguish right from wrong at the time of the crime.

Testimony from the defendant's mother detailed prior hospitalizations and symptoms, yet the jury determined that mental illness did not equate to legal insanity in this case.

This report is based on coverage by FOX 11 Los Angeles: https://www.foxla.com/news/ryan-clinkunbroomer-suspect-kevin-eduardo-cataneo-salazar-found-sane