Multiple Tempe residents showed up to Monday’s Tempe council meeting to speak out against an incident involving Arizona State University senior Eryn Bonner and four Tempe Police officers.
Residents from around the Valley came to speak during the Aug. 31 city council meeting about the case and share their concerns about the violent nature of the incident and called on Tempe officials to release a statement.
On July 19, Bonner was standing at Mill Avenue and Sixth Street when her friend was apprehended by a Tempe bicycle officer. Video footage of the event from officer body cameras and nearby businesses shows Bonner being pushed to the ground and punched before being handcuffed while faced down on the street.
Councilmembers Brooke St. George and Bobby Nichols released a joint statement following the incident saying it is disturbing “because of how it fits into a long national history of excessive violence against people of color.”
The statement also said they supported the decision to decline charges against the parties involved in the incident.
Tempe residents spoke out saying the department should apologize to Bonner and not proceed with further charges under the recommendation of the Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell.
Diane Melrose, a longtime Tempe resident and political activist, applauded Nichols' and St. George’s statement.
“You heard that people were greatly upset by this and instead of maintaining status quo radio silence, you put yourself out on a political limb to acknowledge the injustice,” she said tuning in virtually. “That is so incredibly refreshing.”
Others wanted to see change in the community and accountability for the officers involved.
Emily Kirkland, co-chair of the Phoenix-Metro Democratic Socialists of America and a Tempe resident, called on oversight for the police department.
“Every resident of Tempe deserves safety and security in the place that we call home. And that’s impossible to achieve in a context where the police are essentially investigating themselves, regardless of how severe the misconduct is,” she said.
At the meeting Rob Ferrero, President of the Tempe Officers Association, said that he encouraged the public to view the body camera footage before making an opinion on the incident.
"The false narrative that Tempe police are running a muck is a convenient lie that if allowed to fester will destroy public safety in the city, and the consequences will extend far beyond the police department," he said to the Mayor and Council.
Ben Taylor, Bonner’s attorney, said on a phone call after the meeting the incident left Bonner “traumatized” and that the event was “horrific.”
“The way this man was on top of her just doesn’t make sense. It was extremely unnecessary and brutal,” he said.
Taylor also said that the family tuned into Monday’s meeting.
“The family is really touched to see the support from the community and hopefully the rest of the council and the leadership will see that too,” he said.
Madeline Bates joined Independent Newsmedia in 2025 as a Phoenix/Tempe reporter. Before graduating college, she spent a semester in Washington as a Congressional reporter in the first 100 days of the second Trump administration. But local news is where her heart is. She is excited to be in Phoenix full time and exploring new parts of the city (as long as they have AC).
Community: After living in East Phoenix for two years, she fell in love with Paradise Valley, Mesa, Tempe, and everywhere in between. She recently discovered the beauty of the South Mountain Reserve and hopes to continue exploring should the weather comply.
Education: Madeline has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and a certificate in Political History and Leadership.
Random Fact: She is a self-taught nail tech. No, she cannot do your nails.
Hobbies: Hiking (when its not 100 degrees), fiction writing, cooking, baking and trying new coffee shops.
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