An Arizona college cheerleader's arrest has sparked controversy. After a viral video showed her being manhandled moments before she was taken into custody.
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College Cheerleader Punched By Cop in Viral Video
Viral video footage showed Arizona State University senior Eryn Bonner being slammed onto the ground by police during an altercation on July 19. She allegedly interfered with an arrest.
According to ABC15, Bonner knew the individual who was being taken into custody. Officers had previously instructed her not to intervene. When she reapproached the arresting officers, things got physical.
Tempe police allege that the student had punched an officer more than once. The outlet reported.
The clip shows bodycam footage from the incident. You can see Bonner being tossed onto a nearby bicycle by an officer who is trying to restrain her. The officer also appears to hit her with a punch before another officer slaps the cuffs on her and places her under arrest.
Teen Won't Face Felony Charges Over Altercation
In the aftermath the police decided to not hit Bonner with any felony charges over the alleged assault. However, she is facing two misdemeanor charges over the altercation. One is for disorderly conduct. Another is for interfering with a police investigation (New York Post).
However, her family doesn't feel like the officers who arrested her are being held accountable for their actions. In a statement to the New York Post, Bonner's attorney Benjamin Taylor says the manner in which the police arrested the teen was "excessive" and "extreme.
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.
"If you look at the end of the video, there's some odd touching at the end of the video, which is very concerning. At the end, you see his hand go on her buttocks, which is very odd in this situation."
No word on whether Bonner will pursue charges against the arresting officers. Stay tuned for more updates.
