An Arizona State University cheerleader walked away from a July arrest with facial bruising after Tempe police forced her onto the pavement, while authorities say she rushed officers and her lawyer claims one cop used excessive force and groped her.
Eryn Bonner, a 21-year-old ASU senior and stunt team member, was taken into custody after a sidewalk dispute involving two men she was with turned into a physical confrontation with police near a police bicycle.
The case now hinges on newly released video that police say proves Bonner interfered with an arrest, while her attorney says the same recordings expose officer misconduct.
Police traced the confrontation to a moment when Bonner and two male friends passed another man standing on a Tempe sidewalk.
A nearby business camera recorded one of Bonner’s friends appearing to argue with the man as the other friend tried to keep the encounter from turning physical.
Three bicycle officers noticed the disturbance from across an intersection and headed toward the group.
As police began taking the two men with Bonner into custody, Bonner yelled, “Let him go! Let him go!”
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The video captures Bonner being forced away from the officers once, then returning toward the arrest before an officer brought her to the ground and started handcuffing her.
Tempe police allege Bonner inserted herself among the officers as they were trying to restrain another suspect and accuse her of punching and kicking during the struggle.
Prosecutors moved forward last week with misdemeanor disorderly conduct under state law and interfering with police under city code, while the Maricopa County felony case did not proceed.
One earlier count was dismissed, though officials said the dismissal was meant to allow prosecutors to refile the misdemeanor with any other appropriate charges after a full evidence review.
“The City Attorney’s Office dismissed the prior charge to refile the misdemeanor charge along with any additional appropriate charges after reviewing the complete, available evidence,” a police spokesperson told the media.
Tempe police chief Kenneth McCoy argued that the longer recording changes the public understanding of the arrest beyond the short version circulated online.
“I’m thankful that we have cameras in our community where we were able to capture the whole incident, not just the 30-second clip that was seen by most,” McCoy said. “We investigate everything that took place, and so all of the actions and, you know, the officers who were involved are part of that investigation. We look at our policies and procedures to make sure everything was done correctly.”
Even with McCoy defending the arrest, the department is still evaluating the incident under its conduct rules.
The Tempe Officers Association also sided with the officers, arguing that the charging decision fits what the full video depicts.
“The filing of charges against Ms. Bonner aligns with what the complete video evidence has shown from the beginning: This incident was far different from the brief clip circulated on social media and her attorney’s repeated misstatements about the facts of the case,” the association stated.
“The video shows Ms. Bonner repeatedly ignoring officers’ commands to step back while they were attempting to control an active arrest. TOA remains confident that the officers acted appropriately under difficult circumstances. The relevant video has been released.”
Benjamin Taylor, Bonner’s attorney, accused Tempe of pursuing the misdemeanor case to protect itself from claims over the officer’s force.
“The Maricopa County prosecutor declined charges,” Taylor said. “This is a political prosecution from the City of Tempe to back door charges to cover up for the excessive force and groping that their Tempe officer did that is clearly on the video.”
Taylor argued that police should have tried verbal de-escalation before any shove.
“For a man to use this much force, he’s just abusing his power. He’s twice her size,” Taylor told the New York Post.
He also rejected the claim that Bonner intentionally struck an officer, saying her movements followed the shove that put her on her back.
“If he didn’t push her, she wouldn’t be flailing on her back,” he said.
Taylor alleged the footage shows an officer putting “his pelvis on top of her butt” and groping her rear, and he claimed Tempe brought charges two months later to protect itself from civil liability.
A lawsuit remains possible if Bonner cannot get justice, Taylor said.
The attorney has demanded an outside investigation and pointed to KNXV’s reporting that the sergeant overseeing Tempe’s review had previously been suspended in a use-of-force case.
The city’s police union responded by framing that criticism as an attack on the inquiry’s integrity.
Taylor has also demanded that the arresting officer lose his job.
“This was very extreme, very excessive, and there was no need for double pushes, jumping on top, and multiple strikes,” Taylor said. “The city of Tempe would be very vindictive to try to charge her again after they see what this officer did.”
Tempe police Sgt. Rob Ferraro, who is also president of the Tempe Officers Association, denied the groping accusation and said officers responded appropriately to a dangerous roadway scene.
“The way we de-escalate is to detain everybody, everybody goes in handcuffs, then we see what happened. … Unfortunately, Ms. Bonner felt the need to litigate or break up what was occurring in the roadway,” Ferraro said.
Bonner’s family described the footage as painful to watch because their daughter was hurt by someone expected to serve the community.
“There are no words to fully describe the heartbreak of watching our daughter being hurt by someone entrusted to protect and serve our community,” the Bonner family said in a statement to ABC15.
“The hardest thing is seeing the pain and sadness in her eyes that we cannot take away,” the statement continued. “Expecting public servants to live up to the highest standards of their profession is not an act of animosity toward those who serve with honor.”
“Rather, it is essential to preserving public trust and upholding the integrity and legitimacy of our institutions. We respectfully ask for your prayers and support as our daughter and our family continue to heal,” the statement added.
Bonner has pleaded not guilty, and a pretrial conference is scheduled for Nov. 4 in Tempe City Court.
