Adrian
Private security guards seen on video forcibly removing an activist from a February town hall meeting in Idaho have been criminally charged. On Monday, the Coeur d’Alene City Prosecutor’s office announced that five men associated with a private security firm are facing a range of charges, including battery, false imprisonment, and security agent duty violations, according to the Associated Press.
The incident occurred on Feb. 22 at Coeur d’Alene High School during a town hall organized by the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee. TERESA BORRENPOHL, a Democratic legislative candidate, was dragged out of the meeting after disrupting the event. Video shared by the organizers shows Borrenpohl shouting, “What? Are you serious right now?” approximately 43 minutes into the town hall while Republican state Rep. TONY WISNIEWSKI was speaking about abortion.
The footage captures a group of men approaching Borrenpohl, who was wearing a blue jacket. One man, wearing a hat, attempts to pull her up by her arm, while another joins the effort. Borrenpohl is heard asking, “Who are you?” before shouting, “Excuse me, Sheriff Norris? This gentleman is assaulting me. Is this your deputy?” She was eventually pulled from her seat and held on the ground in the auditorium’s aisle, where she repeatedly asked the men to identify themselves. “They’re pulling my hair,” she can be heard saying.
The five men charged are PAUL TROUETTE, RUSSELL DUNNE, CHRISTOFER BERG, and JESSE JONES, who face misdemeanor charges of battery, false imprisonment, and violations of security agent duties and uniform requirements. ALEX TROUETTE IV is charged with security agent duties and uniform violations. All five are associated with the private security firm Lear Asset Management, which had its license revoked by the city following the incident.
Approximately 450 people attended the town hall, according to organizers. In a February statement, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office clarified, “For clarification, there were no Kootenai County Deputy Sheriff’s or other personnel present at or involved in this incident. The Coeur d’Alene Police Department is handling the criminal investigation regarding this matter.”
The Coeur d’Alene Police Department previously stated, “The Coeur d’Alene Police Department recognizes and values all rights afforded by the United States Constitution to all citizens, including the right to free speech.” Borrenpohl, who has run unsuccessfully in the deeply Republican region, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, the AP reported that she formally notified Kootenai County officials on Monday of her intent to sue by filing a tort claim notice.
“Town halls are intended to foster conversation and discourse across the aisle, which is why I am deeply alarmed that private security dragged me out of the public meeting for simply exercising my fundamental right of free speech,” Borrenpohl said in a Monday media release obtained by the AP.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
**Sources:**
[Associated Press](https://apnews.com)
[Coeur d’Alene City Prosecutor’s Office](https://www.cdaid.org)
[Kootenai County Republican Central Committee](https://www.kcgop.org)
