Woman Roughly Dragged Out of Coeur d’Alene Town Hall Meeting

At a town hall with legislators in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Dr. Teresa Borrenpohl was forcibly dragged out and zip-tied by ununiformed men who appeared to be directed by Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris.

Before the ununiformed men took her, without identifying himself Norris told her that she had to leave. Norris grabbed her arm with both of his hands, tried to drag her out himself and asked whether she wanted him to use pepper spray.

Norris later claimed not to know the men were private security agents and not to have directed them. Videos show him gesturing to them and then calling out to ask for two more of them. When they had dragged her into the aisle, they pressed her face down on the floor, much like police sometimes do in encounters where people being detained die because they are unable to breathe. Later, Borrenpohl said at that point she was concentrating on trying to keep her airway open.

The local police department said, “During the meeting, after speaking out of turn, Teresa Correnpohl was asked to leave. When she refused, she was physically removed by employees of Lear Asset Management, a private security firm hired by the event organizers.” It was an unruly meeting in which many people were shouting.

Borrenpohl was charged with misdemeanor battery for biting one of the men while trying to escape. She was taken to a hospital after the incident. The charge against her was dropped by local Police Chief Lee White after videos emerged of the incident. Lear Asset Management was stripped of its business license for violating city ordinances in regard to security agents. Mainstream media reports indicate Coeur d’Alene requires security agents to wear markings that identify them as such.

Although some people repeatedly shouted, as Borrenpohl did, demanding that the men identify themselves, no one attempted to go to her aid even though she was at the event with friends.

Borrenpohl has in the past run for state legislative office on the Democratic ticket.

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