Arizona State University cheerleader Eryn Bonner was arrested in Tempe after police said she interfered with the detention of a male friend, and newly released footage shows the confrontation turning physical.
The incident happened on July 19. In the video, Bonner can be heard demanding that officers release the man. One officer then pushes her to the ground. She gets back up and moves toward him before a brief struggle ends with her being taken down again.
As Bonner resists arrest, the officer appears to swing at her. A second officer arrives and helps hold her against a police bicycle. The footage also shows officers arresting two men who were with Bonner.
Police say an argument triggered the arrests
Surveillance video from a nearby business, reported by Fox News, shows what happened before the confrontation. Bonner and two male friends were walking past another man on the sidewalk when one of her friends began arguing with him.
The other friend appeared to try to prevent the disagreement from becoming a physical fight. Three bicycle officers saw the encounter from across an intersection and moved in moments later.
Police allege that Bonner struck an officer while attempting to interfere with the arrests. She now faces misdemeanor charges for disorderly conduct and hindering or interfering with police. Maricopa County prosecutors declined to pursue felony charges connected to the incident.
Fox News shared footage of the encounter and the events leading up to it:
WATCH: Newly released police video shows an Arizona State cheerleader shoved to the ground and pinned against a police bicycle as officers arrest her during a confrontation in Tempe.
"Let him go! Let him go!" Eryn Bonner screams as officers arrest two men who were with her.… pic.twitter.com/rBfJcPpHxH
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 5, 2026
Her attorney disputes the police account
Bonner has said the arrest left her covered in bruises. Her attorney, Benjamin Taylor, accused the Tempe officer of using excessive force and groping her during the encounter.
Taylor also criticized the misdemeanor case, calling it a “political prosecution” by the City of Tempe. He argued that the charges were being used to deflect attention from the conduct shown in the video and pointed to the county prosecutor’s decision not to bring felony charges.
That leaves two sharply different accounts of the same confrontation. Police say Bonner crossed the line by interfering with an arrest and striking an officer. Her attorney says the response was excessive and that the video supports his allegations.
Bonner’s family asks for support
In a statement to ABC 15 Arizona, Bonner’s family described the emotional impact of watching their daughter get hurt by someone entrusted to protect the public.
The family said demanding high standards from public servants should not be viewed as hostility toward officers who serve honorably. In their view, accountability is necessary to preserve public trust in law enforcement and other institutions. They also asked for prayers and support while Bonner and her family heal.
The Tempe Police Department told The New York Post that an internal investigation into the incident is underway.