BRENTWOOD — Town’s police division has for the primary time publicly acknowledged {that a} 72-year-old girl died after going unresponsive at the back of a patrol automobile six weeks in the past.
A press release, issued by the Brentwood police division on Tuesday, comes a day after a number of media shops publicized the Oct. 3 loss of life of 72-year-old Yolanda Ramirez, whose household has alleged was injured when an officer knocked her head right into a patrol automobile whereas arresting her on suspicion of a misdemeanor per week earlier than she died. The assertion says police instantly known as for medical backup when an officer seen Ramirez “appeared to be having a medical issue” at the back of the automobile, and that “our thoughts remain with the Ramirez family during this difficult time.”
“While we cannot comment further on an active investigation or pending claim, we want to assure the public that the Brentwood Police Department is committed to treating all individuals with dignity and respect in every call they respond to, and to following established procedures designed to ensure transparency and accountability,” the assertion says, referencing a authorized declare — a precursor to a lawsuit — filed Monday by Ramirez’s household.
The authorized declare alleges that the division ignored key particulars surrounding Ramirez’s Sept. 26 arrest and Oct. 3 loss of life, and that the household’s lawyer employed a personal investigator who interviewed eyewitnesses. Police say Ramirez “was placed under a citizen’s arrest at the request of a family member” throughout a “family dispute” and that the “approximately 70” year-old girl “attempted to flee the scene.”
The authorized declare says police had been known as as a result of somebody noticed Ramirez yelling into the window of her brother’s dwelling on the 100 block of Broderick Drive in Brentwood, as a result of he didn’t reply the door when she arrived to take him to a health care provider’s appointment.
Ramirez was hospitalized the day of her arrest. Her loss of life has prompted the Contra Costa District Legal professional’s workplace to launch its personal probe, which is finished for all regulation enforcement-related deaths throughout Contra Costa, whether or not or not police induced the loss of life. One regulation enforcement supply mentioned that the DA’s workplace was informed Ramirez suffered a stroke and was being arrested on suspicion of disturbing the peace.
Six prior police-related deaths this 12 months had been all introduced by the concerned departments in Contra Costa. As an entire, no police company within the county has didn’t publicly announce a regulation enforcement-involved loss of life for the reason that 2020 loss of life of Angelo Quinto in Antioch, an incident that in the end value the town a $7.5 million lawsuit settlement.
