KOOTENAI COUNTY, Idaho — Video footage from a contentious Republican town hall in February shows Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris directing security members to remove a heckler. Since that incident, four members of that security firm have been charged with battery and false imprisonment.
On February 24, two days after the town hall, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office issued a press release stating it was aware of the town hall that involved Sheriff Norris and would have an independent investigation into the incident conducted by an outside agency.
We has not found any evidence that this investigation is or was ever being conducted.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: ‘Immediate danger’; Public records detail action against Idaho security company that dragged heckler
The video from the town hall shows Sheriff Norris, identifiable by his hat, tugging on Teresa Borrenpohl’s arm in an effort to get her to leave. He is later seen directing improperly marked security to remove Borrenpohl and recording the interaction with his phone.
You can watch a video of the incident here. WARNING graphic language.
When we asked the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office on Friday for an update on this independent investigation and who was conducting it, they received an email saying the sheriff’s office had “no comment.”
We also submitted a public records request to the sheriff’s office on Friday asking for this information. The response received was “Record not known to exist.”
We visited both the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office to ask why there are no records, but no one was available to speak.
Under Idaho law, the Attorney General is to respond and investigate if an elected county officer has allegations that he or she violated state law.
We emailed the Attorney General’s office asking if its received such allegations and have not heard back.
Since the incident, Borrenpohl filed a tort claim against the security firm involved and the Kootenai County Sheriff for $5 million.
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