An Arizona college cheerleader featured in a viral arrest video says an officer allegedly “groped” her after apparently slamming her to the ground and punching her. A police union leader, however, suggested she may be pursuing a potential “payday.”
Eryn Bonner, a senior at Arizona State University, was charged with two misdemeanors last week in Tempe. The charges stem from a July arrest captured on video, during which officers allegedly tackled and punched her.
Bonner’s attorney said the charges, filed roughly two months after the incident, are an effort to redirect blame in what he described as a clear-cut police brutality case.
“They’re trying to protect themselves from civil liability by bringing charges two months later,” attorney Benjamin Taylor told The Post. He alleged that the footage shows an officer placing “his pelvis on top of her butt” and touching her rear.
Taylor said Bonner could pursue a lawsuit if she is unable to obtain justice through the criminal case.
Tempe police Sgt. Rob Ferraro, however, said Bonner struck the officer in the face several times before he punched her. He also said prosecutors initially considered felony aggravated assault charges before ultimately filing misdemeanors.
“She punches him five times in the face. He strikes her one time, trying to de-escalate a chaotic scene in the middle of a roadway … I don’t know how they could have done it any better,” Ferraro, president of the Tempe Officers Association, told The Post. Ferraro was not involved in the arrest and does not speak for the police department.
“It is absolutely imperative that we as a society scrutinize law enforcement … [but] sometimes there are actors that will want to capitalize on something, or use it as a payday, or not accept responsibility,” he said.
Both sides have cited several recordings of the disorderly confrontation, which began as officers moved to break up a brawl in Tempe’s bar district.
One widely shared social media video appears to show an officer pushing Bonner to the ground, tackling her as she rises and hitting her while she is on the pavement.
A separate security-camera recording offers a different view, appearing to show Bonner swinging at the officer’s face several times before he strikes her.
Footage from another angle, recorded by an officer’s body-worn camera, appears to show the officer touching Bonner’s buttocks.
Ferraro rejected the groping allegation and maintained that officers used the appropriate level of force to control a dangerous and rapidly unfolding situation.
“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,” he said.
“While the footage raises understandable concerns, it does not provide the full context of the events leading up to the use of force,” the Tempe Police Department said in a statement.
Taylor countered that the officer should have attempted to calm the situation verbally before using physical force rather than immediately shoving Bonner.
“For a man to use this much force, he’s just abusing his power. He’s twice her size,” the attorney said.
Taylor also disputed the allegation that Bonner punched the officer, saying she was “flailing” in reaction to being pushed.
“If he didn’t push her, she wouldn’t be flailing on her back,” he said.
County Attorney Rachel Mitchell declined the police department’s request to pursue felony assault charges. Taylor viewed that decision as evidence supporting Bonner’s claim of innocence.
Police only decided to pursue misdemeanor charges in city court as a “political prosecution” to “cover up for their police officers’ use of excessive force,” Taylor claimed to The Post.
However, the police department noted that misdemeanor charges were also filed with the city in July and were dismissed after the felony charges fell through — but “with the express intent to refile them,” Tempe PD spokesperson Heather Lerman told The Post on Tuesday.
“The decision to file charges was not made in response to outside influences or to any allegations regarding groping,” she said.
For Ferraro, the two-month saga is an effort to “fictionalize” the situation with a single, viral clip that doesn’t show the whole story.
“It is absolutely imperative that we as a society scrutinize law enforcement … but there also needs to be an understand that sometimes there are actors that will want to capitalize on something, or use it as a payday, or not accept responsibility,” he continued.
“They must be watching a different video than the whole public watched,” Taylor countered.
Bonner has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and hindering or interfering with police.
