Investigation underway after 72-year-old East Bay woman dies after interaction with police
BRENTWOOD, Calif. (KGO) -- The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office is investigating a Brentwood police arrest in September that may have led to the death of a 72-year-old woman. In a statement released on the Brentwood Police Department Facebook page, police say they were called to the home on Broderick Drive for a family dispute and that a family member had made a citizen's arrest. When officers arrived, they say Yolanda Ramirez attempted to flee the scene. Police and an attorney for the family have a different story about what happened next. One week later, Ramirez's family took her off life support.
Yolanda Ramirez, 72, was a wife, a mother and a grandmother.
"Loving, kind, warm," said her son Rich Ramirez.
Ramirez says on Sept. 26, Yolanda went to her brother's home to pick him up for a medical appointment.
"One of the witnesses heard, "Hey, Rubin, this is Yolanda," said Ramirez.
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Brentwood Police say a family member called them to the home for a dispute.
"One of the witnesses saw my mom handcuffed, on her knees, they were looking through her purse, looking through the car, searching the car," said Ramirez.
According to a claim filed by Melissa Nold, an attorney the family hired, an officer, believed to be Police Officers Association President Aaron Peachman, violently struck Yolanda Ramirez's head on the window of the patrol car and possibly slammed her legs in the car door before leaving her unattended. Within minutes an ambulance arrived, and multiple police officers and EMTs carried Ramirez out of the car, covered in vomit and appearing to be unconscious, according to the claim filed.
"Police did not call our family," said Ramirez.
Ramirez says he gathered the information from neighbors and a private investigator working with his attorney. His mom was taken to one hospital, then moved to another, where he works as a nurse in the OR.
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He says she had a massive brain bleed and underwent surgery.
"It was a tough decision the family made and we decided to pull her care on October 3," said Ramirez.
"She was there when I took my first breath and I wanted to be there when she took her last," he continued.
Now, the family wants answers.
The I-Team reached out to the Brentwood Police Department. By text Tuesday, the Brentwood Police Chief tells me he is "not in a position to comment at the moment, but when information becomes available" he'll be sure to include me.
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Wednesday, after ABC7 News aired the story at 4:30 p.m., the Brentwood Police Department put a statement on their Facebook page that in part said Ramirez appeared to be having a medical issue in the patrol vehicle and that her condition worsened at the hospital.
The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office confirms, they're investigating.
The attorney for the family, Melissa Nold says the claim is a precursor to the lawsuit she intends to file.
"I think they're trying to cover up something that happened that shouldn't have happened by hoping that the family will just go away as opposed to having to explain this that seems to be the... based on all the information I've gathered is that they're trying to hide something bad that happened to a person it shouldn't have happened to," said Nold.
Doug Foley is representing POA President Aaron Peachman. He tells the I-Team, Peachman gave a voluntary statement to the DA's office and wrote a detailed report of the contact, detention and arrest.
Also that there is body-worn camera video of the interaction and video from the patrol car's rear-seat camera.
Writing in an emailed statement in part, "We are confident that the District Attorney's investigation will show that Officer Peachman acted appropriately and well within departmental policy and the law."
But Yolanda's son thinks this never should have happened.
"Just very unnecessary and tragic and she should still be here," said Ramirez.
According to the family's attorney Melissa Nold, at least six witnesses observed the incident and were outraged by the police brutality. She says none of those witnesses have been interviewed by Brentwood police detectives or district attorney investigators to date.
Take a look at more stories by the ABC7 News I-Team.
