Overview
- The July 19 Mill Avenue confrontation was recorded on body and surveillance cameras and produced widely viewed footage that prompted public outcry and competing accounts of what happened.
- Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell declined to file felony counts of resisting arrest and aggravated assault, and Tempe police have since submitted misdemeanor charges to Tempe City Court for the city attorney to review.
- An internal administrative investigation by the Tempe Police Department is ongoing and will examine officers’ actions with the same video evidence the public has seen.
- Bonner’s lawyer and family say officers used excessive force, pointing to bruises and an alleged inappropriate touch, while the Tempe Officers Association and police officials say footage shows Bonner ignored commands and assaulted an officer.
- The next steps are the city attorney’s charging decision, the outcome of the internal review and the possibility of civil claims, any of which could affect discipline, criminal exposure, or public trust in policing on Mill Avenue.