ASU cheerleader was thrown to the ground by police during a chaotic arrest that went viral. Now the footage has taken her case in a surprising new direction

A street confrontation in Tempe, Arizona, drew attention after video surfaced showing apparently an Arizona State University (ASU) cheerleader being thrown to the ground by police during an arrest.

According to Fox News, the incident happened in the early morning hours of July 19. County prosecutors later dropped the initial felony charges against her, but local authorities are still pursuing misdemeanor counts that could affect her academic status and athletic career.

The incident took place at about 1:45 a.m. along Mill Avenue, a busy commercial and nightlife area near the university campus. Tempe police officers on bicycles had intervened to break up a physical altercation involving two men. During the arrest, 21-year-old Eryn Bonner, an ASU senior and member of the university’s Stunt Team, approached the officers.

The police accuse her of trying to interfere with an arrest

Witness video and surveillance footage showed Bonner yelling at the bicycle officers and demanding that they “Let him go!” as they tried to arrest the two men. The official police report says Bonner ignored several commands to step away from the area and interfered with officers as they tried to secure the suspects. 

A bicycle officer then pushed Bonner, sending her to the ground near one of the police bikes. Tempe police officials allege that she resisted and struck an officer in the face five or six times. The officer struck Bonner in the face in an attempt to get her to comply before she was restrained.

Several versions of the footage have since circulated, including body camera and surveillance video. Bonner’s attorney, Benjamin Taylor, has disputed the police account.

The footage has since spread across multiple social media platforms, where viewers have offered plenty of strong opinions about who they believe was at fault. Taylor argues that the officers escalated the situation and alleged that an officer inappropriately touched her during the struggle.

The Tempe Officers Association has defended the officers. Representatives say the complete video shows Bonner entering an active and dangerous arrest and refusing repeated commands to move away. The police department is still reviewing the officers’ use of force.

Law enforcement initially recommended felony charges against Bonner, including aggravated assault on a police officer and resisting arrest. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office reviewed the case and declined to pursue those charges.

The city later took up the case in Tempe City Court. Bonner is facing misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and hindering or interfering with police. An earlier misdemeanor charge was dismissed so the city could refile the case with additional charges after reviewing the available evidence.

The misdemeanor case is moving forward

Taylor has criticized the city for continuing with the misdemeanor case, arguing that it is unnecessary given how the encounter unfolded.

Bonner is an ASU senior and a member of the university’s Stunt Team, meaning the case could have consequences beyond the courtroom. A conviction could affect her plans to graduate and her future in collegiate athletics.

For now, however, Bonner and police continue to give very different accounts of what happened on Mill Avenue that night.