21-year-old Arizona State University cheerleader Eryn Bonner has been charged with two misdemeanors after being involved in a viral video where she was punched in the face by a police officer.
Bonner was caught on camera in a late-night altercation with Tempe police when she interfered with officers who were arresting two men. According to Tempe Municipal Court records, prosecutors have now charged her with misdemeanor disorderly conduct and hindering/interfering with officers.
The video appears to show an officer punching her in the face
In the video, Bonner can be seen approaching the Tempe police bike officers and yelling at them as they attempt to arrest the men outside the CASA nightclub. The video shows the officers telling Bonner to “get back,” which she disregarded. Instead, Bonner, a member of the Arizona State University stunt team, grabbed at one of the officers and attempted to pull him off one of the men being cuffed.
The cop then appears to punch Eryn Bonner in the face during the altercation. After being taken into custody by two cops, she started yelling and cursing at one of them.
A police report states that Bonner immediately sprang up and “aggressively approached” the officer with clenched fists after the officer shoved her. According to reports, the officer attempted to arrest her by seizing her arms, but she began violently swinging them before collapsing to the ground once more.
According to the report, the officer tripped over her and fell on top of her while attempting to arrest her. She then allegedly struck the officer five or six times on the left side of his face. The officer then hit Bonner in the face to make her stop, the report claims.
Charges weren’t filed against her initially
Initially, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office reportedly declined to file charges against Bonner because of the slim chance of conviction. Now, however, several months after the melee, Eryn Bonner has been charged with disorderly conduct and hindering/interfering with police.
“We are extremely disappointed by the City’s decision to move forward with criminal charges against Ms. Bonner,” Eryn Benjamin Taylor, Bonner’s attorney, said in a statement this week. “The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office previously reviewed the evidence and declined to pursue felony charges, finding no reasonable likelihood of conviction. Now, more than two months later, the City of Tempe has chosen to revive this case against an Arizona State University stunt team member who suffered injuries and emotional trauma from this incident.
“Equally concerning is the fact that the Internal Affairs investigation remains under the direction of a sergeant who was previously suspended in a use-of-force case, despite repeated requests for an independent review. Ms. Bonner deserves fairness, transparency, and accountability, and we remain committed to fighting these charges and protecting her rights.”
According to Taylor, police officers escalated the situation, and one officer groped his client when she was being arrested. Taylor thinks cops did not try to defuse the situation before using force and are attempting “to cover up for their civil liability.”