Former Arizona State athlete Eryn Bonner is now facing two misdemeanor charges following an altercation with members of the Tempe Police Department that occurred in July.
Video of the altercation first went viral over the summer as it showed Bonner being pushed to the ground on July 19 while police arrested two male companions she was walking with on the popular Mill Avenue in Tempe, Arizona.
Bonner then got up and confronted the officer who pushed her, leading to an eventual punch being thrown by the officer while the four-year member of the Arizona State stunt team was pinned on top of a bicycle.
The incident left Bonner with multiple bruises, and she is now charged with disorderly conduct under state law and interfering with police under city code in Tempe City Court, according to a report from ABC 15.
The two misdemeanor charges were filed against her after the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office declined to pursue potential felony charges related to the arrest.
Bonner’s attorney, Benjamin Taylor, is calling the decision to file charges a “cover up,” and previously made pleas for the officer involved in Bonner’s arrest to be fired.
“This is the way to try to cover up the officer’s wrongdoing,” Taylor said. “Two months later, to pursue these charges seems very vindictive.”
“Usually, when cities bring charges months later, it’s trying to cover up for their civil liability,” Taylor added, per ABC 15, noting that civil action cannot typically be filed when someone is convicted of a crime.
Bonner’s family also released a statement and pictures of her injuries in the aftermath of the incident.
“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 the statement. “The hardest thing is seeing the pain and sadness in her eyes that we cannot take away.
“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 Tempe Officers Association maintains that the officer who struck Bonner was justified in his actions, alleging that Bonner struck him multiple times.
“The filing of charges against Ms. Bonner aligns with what the complete video evidence has shown from the beginning: This incident was far different from the brief clip circulated on social media and her attorney’s repeated misstatements about the facts of the case,” the Tempe Officers Association said in a statement.
“The video shows Ms. Bonner repeatedly ignoring officers’ commands to step back while they were attempting to control an active arrest. TOA remains confident that the officers acted appropriately under difficult circumstances. The relevant video has been released. The case remains under internal review and, when that is complete, the full facts and analysis will be available for public review. We see no basis for a third-party investigation.”
In surveillance camera video released by police, one of the men with Bonner was seen confronting another individual on the sidewalk. As another man attempted to break up that altercation, police then intervened and tackled both of those men to the ground in order to make arrests.
After both men were on the ground, Bonner is then seen approaching the chaotic scene before her viral altercation with the officer occurred.
Bonner graduated from Arizona State this past May with a bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences and planned to gain her certification to become a personal trainer, according to a Facebook post from the Arizona State stunt team.
Bonner has pleaded not guilty to the two misdemeanor charges, and she has a pretrial conference scheduled for Nov. 4 in Tempe City Court.
