May 1, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Police Department officers gather outside of a pro-Palestinian encampment at the campus of UCLA. Violence broke out early in the morning at the encampment, hours after the university declared that the camp “is unlawful and violates university policy.”. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY
San Bernadino, California – Outrage is mounting after a viral video captured a San Bernardino police officer violently slamming a 17-year-old girl to the ground during an arrest, leaving her injured and traumatized.
The teenager, identified only as Erin, appeared at a press conference Sunday with visible injuries to her face and chin. “I’m just in a lot of pain,” she said. “My head, my whole body. I’m not the same person I was.”
The incident occurred on May 21 around 2 p.m., when police responded to reports of trespassing and a possible fight near a grocery store in the 500 block of West 2nd Street. According to the San Bernardino Police Department, Erin was suspected of trespassing and attempting to fight others.
A video filmed by a bystander shows a partially handcuffed Erin being forcefully thrown face-first onto the pavement by an officer. She lies motionless on the ground as blood pools beside her, while two officers extend their batons toward the person filming.
“They let her bleed out for three hours before stitching her up,” said Erin’s mother, Tanya Brownridge. “I just want justice, that’s it. They gave us three different stories — one to me, one to my mom, and one to my sister.”
The department released a brief statement on social media saying the officer, whose name has not been disclosed, attempted to cuff Erin when she began “pulling away,” prompting a “takedown maneuver.” They emphasized that use of force is “based on behavior, not on age, gender, or race.”
Erin’s family says another group of teens attacked her friends inside the store, and that police wrongly treated Erin as the aggressor. Her grandmother, Rhonda Taylor, said, “She’s a baby. You could see the blood by the police car where it busted her chin open. It’s not OK.”
Erin continues to experience pain in her face, head, back, legs, and wrist. Her family is calling on California Attorney General Rob Bonta to launch an independent investigation into the incident.
As public scrutiny grows, the San Bernardino Police Department says supervisors will review whether the officer’s actions were “necessary, reasonable and within policy.” Erin’s family, however, says the damage is already done — and they won’t stop until accountability is delivered.
