An 18-year-old San Bernardino woman has filed a civil lawsuit against the city and its police department, alleging that a patrol officer body-slammed her face-first onto a grocery store parking lot while her hands were cuffed. The complaint says the May 2025 takedown left the teen with a concussion, memory loss, and a deep cut under her chin. The suit names two officers and accuses the department of pushing a false story about how she was hurt.
What the lawsuit says
According to the filing, the teen, identified as Erin Marie Cowser, was walking away from a Food 4 Less after an encounter with another group of teens when Officer Jackson Tubbs allegedly ran up from behind, grabbed her by the backpack, and used a hard hip-toss that sent her airborne before her face hit the asphalt. Cowser, who was 17 at the time, says she blacked out and came to in the back of a patrol car, bleeding from a deep gash under her chin. As reported by the Los Angeles Times.
Video and the attorney's account
Cowser's legal team says body camera footage and cellphone video undercut the department's first public version of events and show she had no visible injuries before the takedown. The lawsuit further claims officers lied about how she was injured and did not give her immediate medical care. In a press release, attorney Toni J. Jaramilla stated, "This was not a mistake - it was violence, followed by dishonesty." As reported by ABC7 Los Angeles.
Officers named and department response
The complaint names Officers Jackson Tubbs and Cynthia Guillen and says the arrest took place on May 21, 2025, outside the grocery store. Attorneys shared video of the incident with reporters. The department has previously said the officer was attempting to place the teen in handcuffs, that a supervisor documented her injuries with photos, and that she was transported to a hospital for evaluation. The city and police department have declined to comment, citing the ongoing case. As reported by NBC Los Angeles.
Legal implications
The lawsuit accuses the city and the two officers of excessive force, civil rights violations, and dishonesty, and it seeks damages for Cowser's physical and emotional injuries, including what the complaint describes as a concussive brain injury and permanent scarring. Her attorneys say the case will revolve heavily around the video evidence and an internal use-of-force review that they argue included admissions that were never publicly corrected. As reported by the Los Angeles Times.
Background
One of the officers named in the suit, Jackson Tubbs, was also involved in a separate high-profile 2023 shooting that led the city to agree to a nearly $4.9 million settlement in 2025, a payout that local attorneys say has already put San Bernardino policing under a brighter spotlight. As reported by ABC7 Los Angeles.
The lawsuit was filed on Friday and is still pending. Cowser's attorneys say they plan to press the case until they believe accountability has been achieved, while the city has stuck to its position that it will not discuss the matter publicly as the litigation moves forward. As reported by FOX 11 Los Angeles.
