A 72-year-old woman who died after being arrested by Brentwood police in September was placed in custody at the request of a relative, the city’s interim police chief said Wednesday.
In his first public statement about the death of Yolanda Ramirez, interim Chief Walter O’Grodnick said “she was placed under a citizen’s arrest at the request of a family member” following “a family dispute” on the morning of Sept. 26.
“When officers arrived, Ms. Ramirez attempted to flee the scene. Officers detained Ms. Ramirez, and after being secured in a patrol vehicle, officers noticed she appeared to be having a medical issue, and they immediately contacted medical personnel,” according to an email O’Grodnick sent to media outlets.
An independent investigation into Ramirez’s death is being conducted by the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office to determine if any of the officers involved broke the law, as is typical when somebody dies in police custody.
O’Grodnick said the city is fully cooperating with the investigation and that officers’ body-worn camera and dash-cam footage will be provided.
The department is committed to following “established procedures designed to ensure transparency and accountability,” according to the statement.
O’Grodnick’s statement comes on the heels of media reports about Ramirez’s husband filing a claim against the city that alleges wrongful death, federal civil rights violations, elder abuse, battery and false arrest, among other things.
Such a claim is the first step in filing a lawsuit against the city, the officers and the police department.
A lawyer for the family said that for weeks they have been trying in vain to get information about the arrest — allegedly for disturbing the peace — from Brentwood police.
In lieu of any official reports, attorney Melissa Nold said she hired a private investigator who compiled witness statements from at least six people and that those statements include details of an unnecessarily violent arrest.
Ramirez died in the hospital on Oct. 3 after officers allegedly forced her to her knees, handcuffed her, screamed at her to get up, slammed her head against a police vehicle and shoved her into the back seat, according to the claim Nold filed on behalf of Ramirez’s husband this week.
Officers first made contact with her outside of a home on Broderick Drive, where Ramirez was trying to pick up her elderly brother for his doctor’s appointment.
When he didn’t answer the door, she called out to try to get his attention and may have gotten into an argument with her sister, according to Nold.
Police soon arrived and were allegedly immediately aggressive toward Ramirez and “treated her like she just did a home invasion,” Nold said.
“Witnesses first started being alerted to it because she was crying out, ‘You’re hurting me. Why are you doing this to me,’” Nold said.
After handcuffing her tight enough to cut her wrists, the officers then allegedly left Ramirez unattended in the back of the patrol car for about 10 minutes before they appeared to notice that she might be in distress.
Witnesses said that when an ambulance arrived, it took multiple officers and EMTs to get her out of the car.
“At this point she was covered in vomit and appeared to be unconscious,” according to the claim, which alleges that the officers failed to inform medical personnel that she had hit her head.
Ramirez died several days after emergency surgery to repair a brain bleed.
Source: NBC Bay Area
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