17-Year-Old Girl Forcefully Detained by Police at San Bernardino Grocery Store

A 17-year-old girl named Erin was videotaped by bystanders as she was being handcuffed by a male police officer in the parking lot of the San Bernardino Food4Less grocery store. Police were reportedly called to the area in response to two people engaging in a verbal altercation.

It is unclear what occurred prior to Erin being detained. A video recorded by a male bystander shows Erin pinned against a police cruiser as the officer attempts to handcuff her. While Erin appears to be pulling back, the officer is seen grabbing her by the arms and then forcefully slamming her to the ground. The man recording can be heard shouting,

“Hey!”

In the footage, Erin is shown lying on the ground with blood on her face. As the cameraman attempts to get closer to record, another officer is seen drawing his metal baton to block the man from approaching further.

Erin sustained serious injuries from the incident. She required stitches around her chin and face and suffered bruising on her wrists.

In an interview, Erin’s father, Christopher Crowser, told the media:

“He should not even have had his hands on her, but he picked up my child like she was a ragdoll and slammed her to the ground. I want justice.”

Her mother, Tanya Brownridge, added:

“I wanted a straight answer from the police, but they’ve given me three different stories — one to me, one to my mom, and one to my sister. I just want justice. That’s it.”

Erin also spoke during the interview:

“Since that day, I’ve been in a lot of pain, and I’m scared to go to sleep.”

She continued,

“If I walk outside, even just taking out the trash, I’m scared because I don’t know what’s going to happen to me.”

Her grandfather, Michael Phillips, added

“It’s not right. I don’t blame all the police. I just want accountability for the one who felt compelled to slam my granddaughter.”

The family has hired an attorney and is in the process of filing a lawsuit against the San Bernardino Police Department.

The department released a statement claiming that the officer was only able to handcuff one of Erin’s wrists. As Erin allegedly began to pull away and attempt to walk off, the officer used a takedown maneuver.

The officer involved in the incident has not yet been publicly identified.

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