‘Please don’t do that’: Brentwood releases footage of officers shoving woman into patrol car, where she passed out before death

BRENTWOOD — The city has released footage showing two officers handcuffing, shoving and eventually placing 72-year-old Yolanda Ramirez horizontally into the back of their patrol car, where she went unresponsive and died at a hospital days later.

The footage, released Friday in amid public outcry over Ramirez’s September 2025 death, shows Brentwood Police officers Aaron Peachman and Danielle Tjhia struggling with the woman, threatening her with jail, and lifting her into the back of a police SUV after she got on her knees and refused to get up. The officers were attempting to arrest Ramirez and book her into jail on suspicion of a misdemeanor resisting charge.

Ramirez’s death has already led to controversy, a federal lawsuit, and dueling autopsy reports. A county forensic pathologist ruled Ramirez died from medical complications and ruled it “natural.” A pathologist hired by Ramirez’s family ruled her death a homicide.

On the afternoon of Sept. 26, 2025, police were called to Ramirez’s sister’s home at Broderick Drive in Brentwood, where the two women were arguing about the sister not wanting to go to the doctor, the footage shows.

When Ramirez’s sister told Peachman she wanted Ramirez arrested for breaking a coffee cup on her front porch, Peachman sounds reluctant but tells the sister he will do it if she’s sure. A few moments later, police tell Ramirez to sit on the curb, and she tells them she doesn’t want to and argues her point. A few moments later, the officers tell Ramirez they’re detaining her.

“Please don’t do that,” Ramirez says. “No.”

The two officers then attempt to handcuff Ramirez, who is seen on footage resisting their attempts to wrangle her arms behind her.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Peachman can be heard telling Ramirez.

“You are hurting me,” she replies, emphasizing the word “are.”

As she continues to resist, the officers change their tone.

“Now you’re going to jail,” Peachman says.

Eventually, the officers lift Ramirez sideways as she screams, and place her horizontally into the police car. After being placed into the police vehicle, Ramirez suffered a medical emergency and passed out. She was hospitalized then died at a hospital. The footage shows Ramirez had a medical patch on her right arm, and the autopsy reports indicate she had diabetes.

Footage from inside the vehicle shows a pale and sweaty Ramirez who appears barely conscious and struggling to breathe. The officers order her out of the vehicle several times, and appear skeptical when she doesn’t respond. Then one radios paramedics as Tjhia suggests to Ramirez that she sit up and “open your lungs.”

When the officer reaches over to take off her handcuffs, he warns her not to put her hands in her pockets.

“Don’t give me a reason to put you back in handcuffs,” an officer can be heard saying.

Members of Ramirez’s family and supporters have repeatedly shown up at City Council meetings and other public gatherings to demand answers in Ramirez’s death. The city initially failed to tell the public about it until after this news organization learned about it in early November, roughly five weeks after it occurred.

Until recently, police-related deaths like this would be reviewed by a public coroner’s inquest hearing where the involved officers would testify under oath. Contra Costa police chief’s association ended the practice last year in the name of transparency.

Melissa Nold, the attorney representing Ramirez’s family, previously said police “treated (Ramirez) like a gang member” and exhibited “pure neglect” during the arrest. The lawsuit is still pending.

The footage can be viewed here: