Arizona officer hits Black woman to the ground and strikes her repeatedly. Then she’s charged with two misdemeanors: ‘She didn’t even do anything’

Police officers are supposed to protect people, not hurt them. But an Arizona officer was caught on video pushing a young Black woman to the ground and repeatedly hitting her.

Police use of force during arrests remains a serious concern. What makes this incident worse is that the woman suffered visible injuries but still faced charges. 

According to a TikTok video shared by NBC News (@nbcnews), 21-year-old Eryn Bonner was involved in a confrontation with a Tempe police officer outside an Arizona bar in July. Prosecutors declined to pursue her initial felony charges, but she later faced two misdemeanors. The footage has left viewers questioning the officer’s actions.

This is beyond messed up 

The incident occurred on July 19 when Tempe police officers were responding to a tense situation outside a bar. According to PEOPLE, Bonner, an Arizona State University cheerleader, was with her boyfriend when officers approached them. Her attorney, Benjamin Taylor, said officers pushed her boyfriend to the ground.

Bonner reportedly became frightened and tried to tell officers that her boyfriend had done nothing wrong. However, footage shows an officer forcefully pushing her to the ground. The two then appear to struggle on the pavement before the officer repeatedly strikes her.

Taylor also accused the officer of inappropriate touching during the confrontation. He alleged that the officer punched Bonner in the face and touched her buttocks.

The police union defended the officer, claiming Bonner ignored instructions to step back and hit and scratched him while he attempted to restrain her. The Tempe Police Department confirmed that it was investigating the encounter.

Following the altercation, Bonner was arrested on felony aggravated assault and resisting arrest charges. She reportedly spent nearly 24 hours in jail before being released and seeking hospital treatment.

Her mugshot showed what appeared to be a black eye, while photographs taken two days later showed bruising around both eyes. Taylor said Bonner was “still traumatized” by the incident.

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute the felony charges, citing “no reasonable likelihood of conviction.” However, more than two months later, Tempe prosecutors charged her with disorderly conduct and interfering with police.

Taylor questioned the timing of the misdemeanor charges, alleging they were filed in retaliation after his legal team complained about the officer’s conduct. He believes the charges were intended to discourage a possible civil lawsuit against Tempe.

Bonner pleaded not guilty to the charges. Her pretrial conference was scheduled for November 4 in Tempe City Court.

The viral footage sparked angry reactions, with many questioning the officer’s conduct and the decision to charge Bonner. The incident also raised concerns about police handling of alleged disturbances.

“Why tf did he hit her,” one person asked. Another appeared shocked, writing, “SHE WAS CHARGED?!?!” A third argued, “she didn’t even do anything.”

Others focused on how the officer pushed Bonner down. “he clearly pushed her very hard,” one viewer observed, while another claimed, “The fact he purposely pushed her on top of the bikes.”

Some believed Bonner had done nothing to deserve the treatment. “She didn’t touch him at all,” one person wrote. Another added, “she was just trying to check if the person was okay he could have just said to move away instead they charge at her like wtf.”

Several demanded consequences. “That officer should be fired , I hope she sues the shit out of them. So tired of cops doing this,” one person wrote.

Others encouraged Bonner to take legal action. “Better sue him for all he’s got!” one commenter said, while another wrote, “I hope she gets paid. That was excessive AF.”

Not everyone agreed with the criticism. “Stop making it normal to interfere!” one commenter responded. 

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