Brentwood police never told the public about woman’s death. A legal claim alleges cops killed her and covered it up

BRENTWOOD A -year-old woman went unconscious in the back of a police car and later died and Brentwood police who never recounted the residents about the Sept situation are already facing legal blowback from her family Yolanda Ramirez a Brentwood native who retired from a -year career at Contra Costa Medical Services was arrested on suspicion of a misdemeanor for allegedly yelling at a family member s home While in the back of a patrol car outside the Broderick Drive home Ramirez apparently suffered what turned out to be a brain bleed and went unconscious Paramedics rushed her to a hospital where she remained on life encouragement until her Oct death according to a legal claim a precursor to a lawsuit filed by Ramirez s family The Brentwood Police Department never publicly acknowledged Ramirez s death or disclosed details to the general an abnormality in Contra Costa where all law-enforcement deaths are subject to third-party investigations as a matter of strategy Brentwood police Chief Walter O Grodnick did not at once respond to a request for comment An attorney representing Ramirez s relatives disclosed the family made repeated attempts to seek answers from the Brentwood Police Department Having no success they launched their own probe sending private investigators who interviewed eyewitnesses the attorney stated The end development as detailed in the legal claim says an officer forced Ramirez to her knees as she cried in pain knocked her head into the door of the patrol car and had a second officer help him drag her into the bus where she remained handcuffed for minutes before anyone noticed she was in biological distress After a gaggle of officers peered into the patrol car window they called for diagnostic assistance and carried her into an ambulance the claim alleges At this point she was covered in vomit and appeared to be unconscious the claim says blaming her brain bleed and death on abuse by the police The claim later adds that At least six third party spectators observed the affair and were outraged by the brutality they witnessed against a visibly elderly woman Ramirez s obituary says she ll be remembered for her unconditional love for family and friends caring nature toward others like donating blood to the Red Cross and her sense of humor especially her contagious laugh She perpetually had a contagious laugh and ascertained humor recollecting embarrassing moments in her life a strong devotion to babysitting her grandchildren and unwavering backing for her family and touched countless lives with her warmth and kindness the obituary says The legal claim says that police were called for unknown reasons after she drove to pick up her brother for a clinician s appointment and after he didn t answer the door on the block of Broderick Drive in Brentwood she yelled through a window of the home The claim says Ramirez s family was later given a slip saying she was arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest but a law enforcement source with firsthand knowledge announced the DA s office was advised by police she was arrested on suspicion of disturbing the peace The same source declared prosecutors were recounted by officers that Ramirez died of a stroke The claim says a male officer who is held to be Brentwood police union president Aaron Peachman falsely accused Ramirez of resisting arrest forced her to her knees while she was handcuffed then notified her to stand It says she suffered deep cuts to her wrists and that after she was taken away by ambulance her car was impounded so that her husband who was on his way and also one of the registered owners could not take possession of the family car A message sent to the police union on Tuesday was not right now returned Melissa Nold the Vallejo-based lawyer who filed the claim called it egregious that the department refused to give Ramirez s family more information I should not have to hire private investigators just to get the family a basic understanding of what happened to Mrs Ramirez Nold reported in a written report She deserved to be treated with dignity respect and care and the department profoundly failed her in all of those aspects