San bernardino police face lawsuit over alleged excessive force

San Bernardino police are facing a lawsuit from an 18-year-old woman who claims she suffered a traumatic brain injury and other serious injuries during an incident last year.

Police violence alleged in takedown of compliant teen

Erin Cowser, then 17, was arrested on suspicion of trespassing and attempting to fight others outside a grocery store in May 2025. All misdemeanor charges against her were later dropped, according to her attorneys.

Cowser's lawyers allege that the police used excessive force when arresting her, including a takedown maneuver that knocked her unconscious. The incident was captured on body-worn video, as well as a cellphone video.

In a news conference, Cowser described the moment she was grabbed by an officer and thrown to the ground, saying she felt her backpack being tugged and then being pushed against a car. She lost consciousness and woke up in the back of a police vehicle with blood on her body.

The San Bernardino Police Department initially denied allegations of excessive force, stating that Cowser had been attempting to walk away from the officer while being cuffed. However, attorneys say their client posed no threat and committed no crime.

The lawsuit seeks damages for Cowser's injuries and alleges that officers falsely claimed her injuries were caused by other juveniles at the store.

San Bernardino Police need to come clean about what happened and be held accountable for the harm Ms. Cowser suffered, her attorney said.