The Brentwood Police Department released body camera footage showing the arrest of 72-year-old Yolanda Ramirez, who died seven days after police forcibly restrained her during a family dispute call. The video shows officers pulling her arms, pushing her into a patrol car, and struggling with her for several minutes before she experienced breathing difficulties.
Arrest Escalates During Family Dispute
Police responded to a call from Ramirez’s sister regarding an alleged family dispute in November 2025. Body camera footage shows Ramirez speaking calmly with an officer who asked for her name and birth date. When Ramirez provided only her name and began walking toward her car, the officer accused her of being difficult. Ramirez responded that she did not want to be interrogated. Moments later, officers moved to arrest her after discussing a possible citizen’s arrest with her sister.
Officers told Ramirez to put her hands behind her back. When she refused, they pulled her arms back as she screamed. The footage shows officers guiding her toward a patrol car. As they attempted to seat her inside, she fell and hit her head on the vehicle. One officer pushed her leg while another pulled her by her handcuffed arms into the seat. Ramirez extended her leg to prevent the door from closing during the struggle.
Family Demands Criminal Charges
Minutes after the struggle, officers noticed Ramirez having difficulty breathing. They removed her handcuffs and called paramedics, but she died seven days later. Her family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Brentwood and several officers. An independent autopsy commissioned by the family found serious injuries and evidence of asphyxiation. Her son stated he watched his mother die twice, first in the patrol car and later when she took her last breath at the hospital.
Department Releases Video After Months of Pressure
The nearly hour-long footage came after a January rally where community members demanded transparency and the release of body camera video. The Brentwood Police Department stated the video release kept their commitment to transparency made in a November 2025 media statement. The department allowed Ramirez’s family to view the footage privately before public release. The family continues to demand criminal charges against the officers involved. The Brentwood police chief declined to comment, citing pending litigation and an ongoing investigation into the incident.
The old bitty was resisting arrest and brought all of this down upon herself!
This looks like police were doing their job and this woman resisted. If she just cooperated maybe she would not have died. There are a lot of 70 something people that still have strength in them. I feel for the family but in no way this seems to be the police fault.
I am older than this woman and if I resisted arrest you have my permission to drag my sorry ass into your squad car.I have no sympathy because our officers have enough on their plate.Imagine having a job where you may be shot and killed for issuing a traffic ticket and sometimes less.My great respect goes out to them.
As a retired L.E.O. if one, who is under arrest, decides to resist an arrest it his all officers might to effect it. The struggle is all avoidable and when the arrestee is done being processed they get to go home. Resistance is with out doubt all on the part of the arrestee. If all goes easily and the arrestee is not resisting that arrestee gets bail and then gets to go home. Obviously this arrestee resisted, was afflicted by shortness of breath, and t some point died. I almost every instance the arrestee is the common denominator of their own death. Don’t resist, go along peacefully, and you get to go home to fight it out in court. But unfortunately some how these arrestee want to fight it out. YOU CAN NOT WIN ON THE STREET DON’T bother trying. Stay Safe and stay alive, just go along so you can get your day in court and your family gets to keep you.
EXACTLY! People bring things like this on themselves because of not doing what they are told to do & then they want to turn around & sue the law enforcement people & everyone else!