BRENTWOOD — The family of Yolanda Ramirez, who went unconscious in the back of a police car and died days later at a hospital, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit this month against the city and several police officers.
The lawsuit, filed Jan. 1 on behalf of her husband, Rudolf Ramirez, and their three children, claims excessive force was used against Yolanda Ramirez during her arrest Sept. 26, 2025.
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The family is seeking damages for hospital and medical expenses, coroner’s fees, funeral and burial expenses, loss of familial relationships, pain and suffering, alleged violations of constitutional rights, and attorneys’ fees and costs, among other claims.
Yolanda Ramirez, 72, who worked with Contra Costa Health Services before retiring, was arrested on suspicion of a misdemeanor for allegedly yelling outside of her childhood family home, where her sister, Sylvia Bustos, lives.
According to the lawsuit, Ramirez was at the Broderick Drive home to pick up her brother, who also lives there, for a medical appointment when an argument broke out between the sisters. Bustos called police.
The lawsuit states that multiple third-party witnesses saw an unidentified female officer speak with Ramirez outside the home for a few minutes, during which Ramirez was “compliant” and explained her concerns about her brother’s welfare.
While Ramirez was waiting, she sat in the front passenger seat of her car, then walked slowly to the opposite side of the vehicle a few minutes later, according to the lawsuit.
Suddenly, the suit claims, the female officer yelled that Ramirez was fleeing “despite having provided no commands or directions,” even though Ramirez allegedly made no attempt to escape.
Peachman, who had been speaking with Bustos, then approached Ramirez and “grabbed” one of her arms while his colleague grabbed the other, the lawsuit states.
“Mrs. Ramirez cried out in pain and confusion. The Defendant Officers pushed Mrs. Ramirez down the street towards a patrol car, while cursing at her,” the lawsuit alleges. “Defendant Peachman pushed his forearm against the back of Mrs. Ramirez’s neck and pushed her forward, striking her head on the patrol car. Then, Defendant Peachman angrily directed the female Defendant to go to the other side of the car to drag Mrs. Ramirez into the car.”
According to the lawsuit, Ramirez was left unattended in a patrol car for about 20 minutes. Peachman later returned to the vehicle, looked inside, and then went to speak with other officers present. Shortly afterward, an ambulance arrived, and Ramirez was carried out of the patrol car.
“At this point, she was covered in vomit and appeared to be unconscious,” according to the lawsuit. The suit alleges that officers did not tell EMTs that they had struck Ramirez’s head against the car window, which the family’s attorneys say delayed her medical diagnosis.
Ramirez underwent emergency surgery and remained on life support until her death on Oct. 3, 2025, according to the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, an independent secondary post-mortem found that Ramirez suffered a fracture at the base of her skull and blunt force injuries to her face and head, consistent with bruising visible on her face.
The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office initiated its Law Enforcement Involved Fatal Incidents Protocol, which occurs when a person dies in police custody, the lawsuit states.
“However, the Contra Costa Coroner’s Office has notified the family that they do not intend to perform a Coroner’s Inquest, despite Mrs. Ramirez suffering a life ending medical emergency immediately after a Brentwood Police Officer struck her head against a fixed object,” the lawsuit notes.
In December 2025, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that an independent investigation was underway to determine whether any criminal wrongdoing involving a member of the Brentwood Police Department occurred.
The city of Brentwood did not respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit. The Brentwood City Council was scheduled to hold a special meeting Tuesday night to discuss the matter.
Rudolf Ramirez, known as Rudy, said the holidays were tough on his family, especially Christmas, which had been his wife’s favorite celebration during their 49-year marriage.
“We missed her, and we acknowledged that we were devastated by what had happened to her, and we prayed, we talked to her … to help us get through this tragedy, and that as long as we live, we will remember her and that we miss her greatly,” Ramirez told this news organization.
To cope with his loss, Ramirez said he helps babysit his three young grandchildren, finding comfort in their hugs and kisses.
“It’s barely been four months, and I feel lost. I feel like part of me is gone. She was my copilot. She helped me get through my struggles,” he said. “When I came back from Vietnam, I had a lot of issues, and she helped me get through those. She never left me, even though she had plenty of reason to leave me, but she stuck in, and she helped me through all my troubles, and we had such a relationship that was inseparable, and it made me sad to know that at the time that she needed me the most, I was not there.”
Ramirez said he hopes the lawsuit will prompt the city of Brentwood and its police department to provide more information about what happened.
Family and friends of Yolanda Ramirez have called for accountability and transparency from the city and police following her death, urging officials to release police body camera footage of the incident.
Rudolf Ramirez said he was also upset that the officers involved remain on duty and that his trust in law enforcement has eroded since his wife’s death.
“I don’t trust them, I’m afraid of them,” he said. “I understand that society needs policemen, but they need to vet the officers that they hire, they need to go deeper into their background to make sure that we’re getting someone who wants to be true to the police code of conduct because they did not treat my wife with respect as an elderly person.”
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