A Black teenager in California is suing the City of San Bernardino and two police officers after a violent 2025 arrest left her with a traumatic brain injury, facial injuries, and lasting emotional distress, according to a newly filed lawsuit.
Erin Marie Cowser, now 18, was 17 when San Bernardino police responded to a fight call outside a Food 4 Less on May 21, 2025.
According to, NBC Los Angeles, her lawsuit says she was actually the victim of an assault by other teens inside the store when Officer Jackson Tubbs grabbed her from behind by her SpongeBob SquarePants backpack, pinned her arms back, and slammed her face-first onto the pavement. The complaint names Tubbs, Officer Cynthia Guillen, and the city as defendants…