ASU Student Who Inspired Tempe Police Oversight Board Faces Misdemeanor Charges After Viral Arrest

TEMPE, Ariz. — An Arizona State University student whose July arrest on Mill Avenue went viral is now facing misdemeanor charges from Tempe city prosecutors, drawing fresh scrutiny of how the department handles use-of-force incidents and accountability.

Eryn Kelise Bonner, 21, has been charged with disorderly conduct, classified as fighting, and hindering or interfering with police. The charges are set to be heard in Tempe Municipal Court, with a pre-trial conference scheduled for Nov. 4, 2026.

Tempe police say the incident occurred on July 19 outside a nightclub, when officers were arresting two men Bonner said she knew. Body camera footage reviewed by the department shows Bonner approaching the officers after they had twice pushed her away and ordered her to back up. Police account for the encounter in court records states that Bonner struck an officer multiple times in the head and attempted to kick him while he worked to make the arrest.

The department's review has focused on whether the officer's response, which included a shove that sent Bonner to the ground and a single punch to the face, was consistent with policy, training, and department core values. A separate internal affairs investigation into the matter is ongoing, with Sergeant Kevin Ameiss assigned to oversee the review.

Benjamin Taylor, a civil rights attorney and recent president of the State Bar of Arizona who represents Bonner, has publicly pushed back on the charges. In a statement, Taylor called the case a political prosecution, arguing the city police union is pressuring officials to bring charges rather than pursue accountability against the officers involved.

Instead of showing accountability and transparency, accountability to their officers for their wrongdoing and transparency to the community, what they are trying to do is cover up for the wrongdoing of their officers, Taylor said. He added that the timing of the charges, roughly two months after the Maricopa County Attorney's Office declined to pursue felony resisting arrest and aggravated assault charges against Bonner, raised questions about the city's motives.

Taylor also told the Phoenix New Times that Bonner suffered emotional trauma in addition to physical injuries and claimed she was punched more than once during the arrest and was groped by the officer.

Bonner's arrest has had a notable impact on local governance. The incident prompted the Tempe City Council to launch the Public Safety and Community Oversight Council Subcommittee, an exploratory body tasked with examining whether Tempe should create a formal police oversight board. Taylor has appeared before the subcommittee, arguing during its most recent meeting that the officer committed excessive use of force and inappropriately touched Bonner.

He has also questioned the decision to assign Ameiss to the internal affairs investigation, citing the sergeant's 2020 suspension related to his supervisory role in the Trevonyae Cumpian case, in which a Tempe officer held a Black hotel worker at gunpoint during a pursuit of an armed white male suspect.

Court records also show that Bonner has accumulated four speeding tickets across March, April, and July, with the March ticket having initially included a charge of using a cell phone while driving that was later dropped.

Shoving and punching can qualify as permitted uses of force under certain circumstances to maintain control of a scene and make arrests, according to department guidance. The final determination on the officer's conduct awaits the completion of the internal review.