Arizona State University cheerleader pinned by Tempe police in viral video

The Incident

It is giving a major vibe check gone wrong. A viral video from July 19 has recently surfaced, showing Eryn Bonner, a senior at Arizona State University and member of the school’s Stunt team, being taken down by Tempe police officers. The footage shows the situation escalating in the early morning hours when officers were in the middle of arresting another person.

In the clip, Bonner is heard yelling, “Let him go, let him go” while approaching the scene, despite being told to back away. The situation turned physical when an officer pushed her to the ground. According to the Tempe Police Department, Bonner allegedly punched an officer multiple times. The footage shows an officer tossing her onto a bicycle, restraining her, and appearing to strike her before another officer stepped in to place her in handcuffs.

The Fallout

Bonner is now facing two misdemeanor charges: disorderly conduct and hindering or interfering with police. While the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office declined to file felony charges, the legal battle is far from over. Her family released a statement expressing their heartbreak, saying, “The hardest thing is seeing the pain and sadness in her eyes that we cannot take away.”

Benjamin Taylor, the attorney representing the Bonner family, is pushing for the officer involved to be fired. Taylor flagged the use of force as “very extreme” and “excessive,” and also raised serious concerns about what he described as “odd touching” near the student’s buttocks at the end of the encounter. Meanwhile, Josh Logan, a former Chandler police officer, noted that if Bonner was indeed punching the officer, the use of force could potentially be considered within department policy, though he acknowledged that slamming someone onto a bicycle—which is covered in sharp gears and chains—is dangerous.

Next Steps

The Tempe Police Department says they are currently conducting an internal administrative review of the entire incident, including all bodycam footage.

Why it matters

This video has reignited intense conversations about police accountability and the use of force. Real talk, the internet is split on the events, but the focus remains on whether the officers involved lived up to the professional standards they are sworn to uphold.