Family of woman, 72, says Brentwood police arrest led to her death
Death of woman, 72, in Brentwood police custody under investigation
Yolanda Ramirez, 72, was violently arrested by Brentwood police who were called to a family-related disturbance, according to a legal claim. Brentwood police say a relative asked officers to make a citizens arrest and that she tried to flee the scene.
BRENTWOOD, Calif. - The family of a 72-year-old Brentwood woman has filed a wrongful death claim against the city, alleging her arrest in September led to her death.
Police were called
What we know:
"If the police were never called, my mom would still be here," said Rich Ramirez, a son of Yolanda Ramirez. "You never think that it's going to happen to you, and this situation is just so unreal, it's like a bad dream, and for it to happen, it's very shocking."
According to the claim — a precursor to a lawsuit — Yolanda Ramirez had gone to her brother’s home to take him to a medical appointment when someone called police for reasons that remain unclear.
Witness reports in claim
The filing by attorney Melissa Nold says a Brentwood police officer handcuffed Ramirez and forced her to her knees before placing her in a patrol car, where witnesses reported seeing an officer strike her head against a window.
Her attorneys said Ramirez was later taken to an emergency room with a brain bleed. Despite undergoing emergency surgery, she was removed from life support on Oct. 3.
The claim, filed by her family, accuses the city of wrongful death, assault and battery, false arrest, and elder abuse.
"The police are responsible for the injuries that they caused her," Nold said. "The family knows she wasn't going to die that day had she not had that interaction with police and had not struck her head."
In a statement Wednesday, Brentwood police said a relative asked officers to make a citizen's arrest of Ramirez and that she tried to flee the scene before having a medical emergency in a police car.
Death of woman, 72, in Brentwood police custody under investigation
Yolanda Ramirez, 72, was violently arrested by Brentwood police who were called to a family-related disturbance, according to a legal claim. Brentwood police say a relative asked officers to make a citizens arrest and that she tried to flee the scene.
Her background
Ramirez's online obituary says she was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, but grew up in Brentwood, when it was a small farming community.
She graduated from Liberty Union High School in 1972, and took some classes at Diablo Valley College before raising a family and working at Contra Costa County Health Services for nearly 30 years, according to her family.
Her family remembers her green thumb, homemade flour tortillas and chicken enchiladas, ability to solve puzzles, interest in the paranormal, and collection of healing crystals.
Her obituary states that her greatest joy was her husband and family.
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