Arizona State Cheerleader Charged After Viral Police Confrontation
Newly released police video shows officers taking an Arizona State University cheerleader to the ground after she allegedly intervened during an arrest in Tempe, Arizona.
ASU senior Eryn Bonner suffered facial bruising in the July 19 encounter. The footage appears to show an officer pushing her down, restraining her against a police bicycle and then arresting her on the sidewalk.
As officers arrested two men who had been with her, Bonner could be heard shouting, “Let him go! Let him go!”
Bonner was charged last week with misdemeanor disorderly conduct and hindering or interfering with police. Maricopa County prosecutors declined to pursue felony charges against her.
A police officer shoves an ASU cheerleader during an arrest. (Tempe Police Dept.)
Benjamin Taylor, Bonner’s attorney, called for the officer involved in the arrest to be fired and issued a statement on behalf of her family.
“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.
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Police officers in Arizona arrest Eryn Bonner in Tempe on July 19, 2026. (Tempe Police Dept.)
“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.
Arizona State Sun Devils mascot “Sparky” cheers before the college football game between the Morgan State Bears and the Arizona State Sun Devils on September 5, 2026, at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Surveillance video from a nearby business shows what happened before the confrontation. Bonner and two male friends walked past a third man standing on the sidewalk. One of her companions appeared to argue with the man, while the other tried to hold him back and prevent a physical altercation.
Three bicycle officers noticed the disturbance from across an intersection and stepped in moments later.
According to police, Bonner allegedly struck one of the officers as they attempted to arrest her two friends.
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