Investigation Underway After Ryan Vandever, 50, of Colorado, Died Following Arrest at Kelseyville Community Park in Lake County, California
LAKE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA (September 22, 2025) – A 50-year-old man identified as Ryan Vandever has tragically died in Lake County, California after being arrested near Kelseyville Community Park.
Lake County officials are saying that the incident began on Tuesday, September 9. Sheriff’s deputies were called to Kelseyville Community Park after getting a report of a man acting erratically.
When deputies arrived at the scene, they encountered Ryan Vandever. Authorities said that he was lethargic and had a difficult time answering the questions they posed to him.
Paramedics were called to the scene to treat the man. He allegedly became combative and was placed in handcuffs by the authorities.
Ryan Vandever became unresponsive at some point during the arrest. Medics began CPR and transported the man to the hospital.
Sadly, he was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Liability for Lake County In-Custody Deaths
When law enforcement restricts a person’s movement by detaining or arresting them, certain legal obligations will apply. In particular, all suspects have a legal right under the Fourteenth Amendment to adequate medical care. If law enforcement knows that someone is in medical distress, they must take action. When police officers are deliberately indifferent to the serious medical needs of someone being detained, this could form the basis of a civil claim. There are many ways that a police department may have shown deliberate indifference to a person’s medical needs.
- Failure to Respond: Officers may have failed to recognize or respond to obvious signs that a person was in medical distress. In particular, a suspect may experience difficulty breathing, lethargy, vomiting, or complain of severe pain. Officers may simply treat someone as ‘non-compliant’ when they are in severe distress.
- Delaying Medical Care: If police officers wait too long to get someone medical treatment, this can also be highly dangerous. In many cases, officers have claimed that a person was merely ‘faking’ their symptoms to avoid being arrested.
- Ignoring Requests: Police officers may fail to get a person medical care even after the person lets them know that they need help. This is actually much more common than many people realize.
In addition to claims stemming from a lack of proper medical treatment, a police department could also be liable for a person’s death through an excessive force claim under 42 U.S. Code § 1983. Police officers may have used excessive force through the way that they restrain someone. For example, they may have placed a person in a prone restraint that restricts their breathing. This type of restraint is much more likely to cause a medical emergency when a person is in a mental health crisis or under the influence of a controlled substance.
Steps to Take After Lake County In-Custody Deaths
Deaths in police custody remain far too common. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, “Federal law enforcement agencies reported 120 arrest-related deaths and 483 deaths in custody in fiscal year (FY) 2022. From FY 2016 to FY 2022, federal agencies reported an average of 72 arrest-related deaths and 501 deaths in custody each year.” It is important that certain steps are taken after any in-custody death.
- Medical Autopsy: It is important that a thorough medical review and autopsy be performed. An autopsy can reveal what may have contributed to a person’s death. These reports can also confirm what role a police officer’s force played in that death.
- Evidence Preservation: All evidence related to an in-custody death should be preserved and collected. This includes photographs and witnesses’ statements.
- Body Camera Footage: The moments leading up to any in-custody death will typically be captured on body camera footage. This evidence may need to be subpoenaed if police departments are not willing to hand it over.
- Civil Rights Review: Any in-custody death should be carefully reviewed by someone with extensive experience in civil rights litigation. They can fully identify what mistakes an officer made and whether or not the police can be liable for the death.
Losing a loved one in police custody can be absolutely devastating. To make matters worse, the police will virtually never be transparent about what happened. Instead, they will craft a narrative that favors their side of the story and release that information to the media. This information should not be solely relied upon absent an independent review of what happened. The family of any person who died in police custody is able to seek some measure of accountability and transparency through a civil claim.
Investigating Lake County In-Custody Deaths
We at Carrazco Law extend our deepest condolences to the family of Ryan Vandever. Any person who may have more information about what happened should reach out to investigators. There needs to be transparency and accountability for the sake of this man’s family. It is our sincere hope that steps are taken to prevent similar incidents down the road.
Do you need more information about a Lake County in-custody death? Our team of civil rights investigators is here to assist you. We are committed to helping all people across California understand their constitutional rights and holding police departments accountable for their illegal actions. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent review of any instance of police force, we may be able to help. You can contact us anytime at (800) 541-3244.
