Each May, peace officers, surviving family members and law enforcement supporters throughout the nation join together to remember all the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, both in the past year and throughout history.
This year’s California Peace Officers’ Memorial Ceremonies at the State Capitol on May 5 and 6 will pay tribute to the four officers featured here whom we lost in 2023, as well as four officers who died in prior years. The names of three members of the Los Angeles Police Department who passed away three years ago as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty will be added to the memorial monument: Officer Philip T. Sudario (EOW January 25, 2021), Sergeant Patricia Guillen (EOW January 28, 2021) and Sergeant Anthony White (April 15, 2021). In addition, the memorial will enroll one officer from the distant past, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Detective Donald A. Mason, who died of a heart attack on December 23, 1959, after being struck in the chest by a suspect who attacked him while he was testifying in court.
The four fallen heroes from 2023 listed on the following pages, along with seven other California line-of-duty deaths from the past several years, will also be honored during ceremonies in Washington, D.C., during National Police Week, May 12–18. Their names are among those of the 282 U.S. peace officers — 118 who were killed in 2023 and 164 from previous years — added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial this year.
During this sacred time, PORAC believes it’s vitally important to pause, reflect and pay our respects to the memory of our brothers and sisters who gave their lives in service to their communities, as well as offering our heartfelt support to the colleagues and loved ones who continue to mourn their loss. We dedicate this issue of PORAC Law Enforcement News to all our fallen California officers and their survivors. We will never forget their legacy of service and sacrifice.
Deputy Darnell Calhoun
Riverside County Sheriff’s Office
EOW: January 13, 2023
Deputy Darnell Calhoun, who had served with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office for less than a year, was ambushed and fatally shot on January 13, 2023, while responding to a domestic violence call in the unincorporated community that borders Lake Elsinore. Calhoun was the first to arrive on scene. A second responding deputy found him wounded in the street, and a gunfight ensued with the suspect. Calhoun was rushed to Inland Valley Medical Center, but tragically, despite all lifesaving efforts, he did not survive. The suspect was apprehended and charged with first-degree murder.
Calhoun was 30 years old and had served two years with the San Diego Police Department before transferring to Riverside County in February 2022. He is survived by his parents, sister, brother and a large extended family, as well as his wife and three sons, the youngest of whom was born several months after his father’s death.
“There is not one person with one negative thing to say about him,” Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said during a press conference. “He was the most cheerful, the most positive, the most wholesome good man you can imagine.”
Officer Gonzalo Carrasco Jr.
Selma Police Department
EOW: January 31, 2023
Police Officer Gonzalo Carrasco Jr., who had served two years with the Selma Police Department, was shot and killed in an ambush-style attack on the morning of January 31, 2023. Carrasco was patrolling in Selma when he was flagged down by a homeowner regarding a suspicious man on her property. When Carrasco exited his patrol vehicle to make contact with the man, the suspect immediately fired several shots, striking Carrasco. The suspect, a felon on probation, fled but was later taken into custody and faces first-degree murder charges. A citizen called 9-1-1, and Carrasco was transported to Community Regional Medical Center and taken to surgery, but tragically did not survive.
Carrasco was 24 years old and is survived by his parents and siblings; his girlfriend, Dinuba Police Officer Karla Alvarez; and their son, who was born less than a month after his father’s death. Carrasco’s involvement in law enforcement began when he was part of the Reedley Police Department’s Explorer program. Prior to becoming a sworn officer, he spent two years as a reserve volunteer for the Selma Police Department while supporting his family as a farm worker. This was the agency’s first line-of-duty death since its founding in 1893.
“He had the courage to stand up and say, ‘Nothing is going to happen on my watch,’ and he meant every word,” Selma Police Chief Rudy Alcaraz said of Carrasco’s swift and valiant intervention with the armed suspect. “He meant every word of his oath that he swore, and he fulfilled his duty with unwavering dedication.”
Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
EOW: September 16, 2023
Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, an eight-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, was ambushed and fatally shot while sitting in his marked patrol vehicle at a traffic signal in front of the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station on September 16, 2023. Security video showed a black vehicle pulling up behind the deputy’s cruiser and pausing. Seconds later, the vehicle pulled up farther, stopped at the driver’s side of the cruiser and paused again before speeding off. Clinkunbroomer’s cruiser drifted forward a short distance and stopped. A citizen passerby discovered Clinkunbroomer unconscious in his vehicle and called for help, and he was rushed to Antelope Valley Medical Center in critical condition. Despite every effort to save his life, the injuries he suffered were not survivable. The suspect was apprehended two days later and has been charged with murder.
Clinkunbroomer was 30 years old and a third-generation member of the LASD, following in the footsteps of both his father and his grandfather. He served the Palmdale and Antelope Valley communities with distinction and had been a field training officer for a year and a half. Just four days before his death, Clinkunbroomer and his girlfriend became engaged to be married. In addition to his fiancée, he is survived by his parents and grandparents.
“Service was running through his veins,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said at Clinkunbroomer’s funeral. “He embodied the values of bravery, selflessness and an absolute commitment to justice.”
Officer Tuan Le
Oakland Police Department
EOW: December 29, 2023
Officer Tuan Le, who had served nearly four years with the Oakland Police Department, was shot and killed while investigating a burglary in the early morning hours of December 29, 2023. After Oakland police officers responded to a report of a possible burglary in progress at a cannabis business and cleared the area, they received a second report of a burglary in progress at the same location several hours later. Uniformed and plainclothes officers working the burglary operation responded and saw multiple suspects fleeing the scene. At least one suspect fired several shots, striking Le as he was arriving with his partner in an unmarked vehicle. Le was rushed to Highland Hospital by his fellow officers, where, despite all lifesaving efforts, he passed away, surrounded by his wife, mother and members of his OPD family. Four suspects were later taken into custody and charged with murder.
Le was born in Saigon, Vietnam, moved to the Bay Area at age 7 and gained his citizenship on September 11, 2001. He graduated from Oakland’s 183rd Police Academy on February 21, 2020. For the past two years, he served as the community resource officer in West Oakland, devoting himself to strengthening the bond between law enforcement and local residents. Le was 36 years old and is survived by his mother and his wife.
“He had a true heart for service,” Oakland Interim Police Chief Darren Allison said at Le’s funeral. “His desire to better the lives of others was ingrained in his identity. It was just simply who he was as a person.”