Six men have been charged after a woman was forcibly removed from a town hall meeting in Idaho in February.
Teresa Borrenpohl was removed from the meeting, hosted by the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee, after interrupting a speaker.
Paul Trouette, Russell Dunne, Christofer Berg, and Jesse Jones now face charges of battery and false imprisonment, the Coeur d’Alene Prosecutor’s Office said.
Highlights
- Six men face charges after forcibly removing a woman from an Idaho town hall in February.
- Teresa Borrenpohl claims her constitutional rights were violated.
- Charges include battery and false imprisonment for four of the men involved.
Michael Keller has been charged with battery, and Alexander Trouette IV faces security agent uniform and agent duty violations, as do Trouette, Dunne, Berg and Jones.
Borrenpohl was dragged out of the town hall by private security, who did not identify themselves, after she interrupted a speaker
Image credits: Tonya Coppedge/YouTube
Video footage of the February 22 altercation has been widely shared online and shows plain-clothed private security officers forcibly removing Borrenpohl from the event.
Despite Borrenpohl asking who the men were, none of them identified themselves.
Image credits: Tonya Coppedge/YouTube
Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris was also standing and recording the incident after asking Borrenpohl to leave and threatening to use pepper spray on her.
He is not facing any charges.
Footage from the incident shows Borrenpohl being grabbed by security officers and dragged out of the meeting.
It came after a panel member was interrupted during an anti-abortion talking point.
Someone in the audience said “women are dying” during the talk, but moderator Ed Bejarana interrupted to lecture the audience for “popping off with stupid remarks.”
“Is this a town hall or a lecture,” Borrenpohl shouted in response.
She was then approached by Sheriff Norris and the private security officers.
“I could never have imagined my right to free speech and my right to assemble could be stripped in such a violent way,” Borrenpohl said at the time.
Borrenpohl has filed an intent to sue and says her constitutional rights were violated
A fundraising page has since been launched to help Borrenpohl “retain legal counsel and ensure that this injustice is properly addressed.”
“No American should fear being carted away by an unnamed paramilitary force without cause,” a statement on the page reads.
“The protection of our freedoms—freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and the right to be free from unlawful detention—should never be taken for granted. Dr. Borrenpohl is not just fighting for herself; she is fighting for every one of us.”
Image credits: teresaforidaho
So far, nearly $338,000 has been raised.
Borrenpohl, a former Democrat candidate for state office, said her constitutional rights were violated by the security team and Norris.
The organizers allege she was refusing to follow the rules.
Borrenpohl has filed a legal complaint that informs the parties of her intent to sue.
Trouette, Dunne, Berg, Jones and Trouette IV are all associated with private security firm Lear Asset Management, which is based in California.
The firm had its license revoked by the city after the town hall. No further legal documents regarding the case are publicly available.
Paul Trouette, chief executive of Lear, said in an email on Monday: “We believe these charges are false and should have never been made,” the New York Times reported.
A statement released by the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office after the incident said there would be an independent investigation into the matter.