Overview
- A short bystander video of an early‑morning Mill Avenue arrest that appears to show a Tempe officer striking 21‑year‑old Eryn Kelise Bonner drew widespread attention and online outrage.
- Police say the July 19 encounter began when bike officers responded to a fight and that Bonner intervened, after which she was arrested and booked on felony counts of aggravated assault on a first responder and resisting arrest.
- Tempe Police released multiple bodycam and venue surveillance clips and opened an administrative investigation while the Tempe Officers Association urged caution about judging from the viral snippet.
- The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office reviewed the police‑submitted case and declined to file charges, saying there was no reasonable likelihood of conviction.
- Civil‑rights leaders and a Tempe councilmember have called for a transparent probe, and officials note that department investigations can still result in discipline or policy changes even when prosecutors do not pursue criminal charges.