Cheerleader says she was punched in the face and ‘groped’ by cop during viral arrest

Published: 08:32 EDT, 8 October 2026 | Updated: 08:32 EDT, 8 October 2026

An Arizona college cheerleader claimed she was punched in the face and groped by a police officer during her July arrest, which was filmed and has since gone viral.

Video shows Eryn Bonner, 21, in a late-night melee with cops on July 19 in Tempe, dressed in a skimpy white outfit as she screamed at officers arresting her friends.

Bonner is now facing two misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and hindering/interfering, according to Tempe Municipal Court records.

Unexpected fight: Eryn Bonner is facing two misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and hindering/interfering after a fight broke out between her and police officers in Arizona in July

Bonner’s attorney Benjamin Taylor told the Daily Mail the woman has pleaded not guilty to the charges and claims one officer groped her during the arrest.

The attorney said: ‘The fact that he groped her and grabbed her buttocks and sexually assaulted her. He deserves to be fired.’

Taylor also accused officers of escalating the situation and shared concerns that an internal affairs investigation is under the authority ‘of a sergeant who was previously suspended in a use-of-force case.’

He added: ‘This excessive force was unnecessary and could have been easily de-escalated.

‘And to have a grown man beat up a woman like that, he must have some sort of domestic violence issues that he’s hiding.’

Serious allegatins: Her attorney Benjamin Taylor told the Daily Mail that she claimed an officer groped her while being arrested on July 19

The Tempe Officers’ Association told AZ Family that the attorney’s groping allegation was ‘inflammatory.’

The association added that Bonner is attempting to avoid accountability for creating a struggle with her failure to back away and calm down during hte arrest.

One social media clip of the incident has garnered more than 150,000 likes and at least 500,000 views.

Painful injuries: Footage of an officer punching Bonner in the face during the incident sparked backlash on social media; her injuries are seen here

Video of the confrontation shows two police officers arresting one of Bonner’s friends after he allegedly attacked another man on the sidewalk outside CASA nightclub.

Another of her friends tried to pull them apart, leading officers to hurl both men to the ground and attempt to place them in handcuffs.

Bonner then grabbed at one of the cops and tried to pull him off the second man, and the footage showed the officers ordering her to ‘get back’ – which she ignored.

One of the officers then turned to Bonner and pushed her to the ground, before throwing her over a bike and striking her in the face.

In cuffs: Tempe Police argue in court documents that Bonner was the first to strike one of the cops

Witnesses could be heard pleading with the officers to stop during the struggle, as Bonner’s friends were handcuffed and arrested on the ground.

Bonner was initially charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault on a first responder and resisting arrest, but the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute.

The City Of Tempe Prosecutor’s Office filed the misdemeanor charges against Bonner on September 23.

Not a normal night: Bonner’s fight with the cops broke out after they attempted to arrest two of her pals

Taylor said his client was hit with the charges after filing a complaint about the officer who arrested Bonner.

He said: ‘This is definitely retaliation against the fact that she made a complaint against the City of Tempe’s Police Department for groping her.

‘And it’s clear, clear on the video that you see the officer grab her butt when she’s face down being handcuffed. There was no need for that.

‘And the City of Tempe has never addressed that issue with Miss Bonner or with anybody of why is this officer grabbing her butt at the end of the video.’

The footage of an officer punching Bonner in the face during the incident sparked backlash on social media, as her family hit out and accused the officers of excessive force.

Step back: Bonner was initially charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault on a first responder and resisting arrest, but the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute

However, Tempe Police alleged in court documents that Bonner was the first to strike one of the cops, accusing her of hitting an officer around five times before they retaliated.

A Tempe Police Department spokesperson told the local news station that an internal review of the incident is ongoing.

The men Bonner was accused of trying to help were formally identified as Isaiah Johnson, 21, and Jonathan Nwariaku, 21.

Following the incident, Nwariaku is facing charges of assault and disorderly conduct, and Johnson is charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Bonner has a pretrial hearing scheduled for November 4.

The Daily Mail contacted the City of Tempe Prosecutor’s Office, Tempe Police, and Bonner’s attorney for comment.