Who is Eryn Bonner? The Arizona State cheerleader who was brutally arrested by the police

E ryn Bonner , a 21-year-old Arizona State University senior and member of the school’s Stunt Devils, has found herself at the center of a growing controversy after video of her arrest in Tempe went viral.

The footage, recorded during an early-morning incident on July 19, shows Bonner approaching police officers who were attempting to detain another person on Mill Avenue. She had reportedly been told to move away from the officers before returning toward the confrontation.

“Let him go, let him go,” Bonner could be heard shouting shortly before the situation escalated.

An officer then pushed Bonner to the ground. Body-camera footage released by police shows the ensuing struggle, during which officers restrained her and she appears to be struck before eventually being placed in handcuffs. Bonner was reportedly left with bruises following the encounter.

Tempe police have offered a different account of what prompted the force. According to the department, Bonner interfered with the arrest and allegedly punched an officer multiple times. That allegation is central to the case now heading toward Tempe City Court.

Bonner is currently facing two misdemeanor charges: disorderly conduct and hindering or interfering with police.

The charges came after the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office declined to pursue felony allegations against her. Tempe subsequently moved forward with misdemeanor charges after reviewing the available evidence.

Who is Eryn Bonner and what is her connection to ASU?

Bonner is a senior at Arizona State and a member of the university’s Stunt Devils, a competitive program that combines athletic elements of cheerleading with head-to-head competition.

ASU describes STUNT as a sport built around partner stunts, pyramids and tosses, jumps, tumbling and team routines. The Stunt Devils compete as a club team and have been working to establish the sport as a larger presence within college athletics.

Bonner has also achieved recognition within the sport. The College STUNT Coaches Association listed her as a First Team All-American in its 2024 selections, highlighting her standing as an accomplished competitor before the arrest brought her name into the national spotlight.

The dispute surrounding the July incident has now extended beyond the criminal charges. Bonner's attorney, Benjamin Taylor , has strongly criticized the officers' actions and called for the officer involved to be fired.

“This was very extreme, very excessive and there was no need for double pushes, jumping on top and multiple strikes,” Taylor said. “The city of Tempe would be very vindictive to try to charge her again after they see what this officer did,” Taylor said.

Taylor has also raised concerns about what he described as inappropriate touching during the arrest.

“If you look at the end of the video, there’s some odd touching at the end of the video which is very concerning,” he said. “At the end you see his hand go on her buttocks which is very odd in this situation.”

Bonner's family has similarly condemned what they believe happened to her.

“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.

“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 case, however, does not have a single uncontested interpretation. Josh Logan , a former Chandler police officer and founder of Guardian Training and Consulting, said that if the officer's account that Bonner punched him is accurate, the use of force could fall within police policy.

“If you reach that level of active aggression, you’re within policy to perform closed fist strikes to the face,” Logan told the outlet.

At the same time, Logan questioned aspects of what can be seen in the footage, particularly the moment Bonner is thrown onto a bicycle during the struggle.

“There’s so many dangerous things on that bicycle that can cut and scrape. I have scars from cogwheels to chains and everything in between. It appears that she’s trying to move her off the bike and that happens in a split second in a very chaotic scene, and then they take her into custody and go from there,” Logan said.

The Tempe Police Department has said the incident remains under administrative review. The department has emphasized that the viral clip represents only part of a rapidly developing encounter and that investigators will examine the footage alongside the other available evidence.

“Consistent with our policies, this incident is currently under administrative review. The video of the incident, along with all other available evidence, will be carefully evaluated as part of that process,” the department told the outlet.

For Bonner , the controversy is now moving into two separate arenas: a criminal case involving two misdemeanor allegations and an internal review examining the conduct of the officers involved.

A pre-trial conference is scheduled for November 4 in Tempe Municipal Court, while the police review remains ongoing.

Until those processes are completed, the circumstances surrounding the arrest remain contested. What is clear is that a student who had previously been known primarily for her achievements with ASU's Stunt Devils has now become the central figure in a much wider debate over police intervention, use of force and accountability.