The Brentwood Police Department released body camera footage showing the arrest of a 72-year-old woman who died seven days later, sparking a wrongful death lawsuit and calls for criminal charges against the officers involved in the family dispute response.

The Arrest That Turned Deadly

Officers responded to a family dispute at the home of Yolanda Ramirez’s sister in Brentwood last year. The bodycam footage shows Ramirez admitting she was banging on her sister’s door but denying she kicked it. When officers asked for her identification, she provided her name but walked toward her car when pressed for her birth date. After giving only her age and birth month, the officer told her she was being difficult. Ramirez responded that she did not want to be interrogated.

When Ramirez attempted to leave, officers moved to arrest her for impeding their investigation. The footage shows her screaming as officers pulled her arms back to handcuff her. While guiding her to the patrol car, she fell and hit her head on the vehicle. Officers pushed her leg and pulled her handcuffed arms to seat her inside. She resisted by extending her leg to block the door from closing.

Medical Emergency and Death

Minutes after being placed in the patrol car, Ramirez appeared to have difficulty breathing. Officers removed her handcuffs and called paramedics. She died seven days later. An independent autopsy commissioned by her family found serious injuries on her body and evidence of asphyxiation. Her son said he witnessed his mother dying in the police car and was present when she took her final breath.

Demands for Accountability

The family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Brentwood and several police officers. The nearly hour-long footage was released following a January rally where protesters demanded transparency. The police department stated the release aligned with their commitment to transparency and noted the family viewed the video privately before its public release. The family continues to demand criminal charges against the officers. The Brentwood police chief declined to comment, citing pending litigation and an ongoing investigation into the incident that has raised serious questions about the appropriate use of force.