COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — The trial of Paul Trouette entered its second day with testimony from Teresa Borrenpohl, the woman who was forcibly removed from a North Idaho town hall earlier this year.
New footage shows tense moments from the February incident where Borrenpohl was dragged out and restrained by plain-clothed security guards at Coeur d’Alene High School.
Trouette owns Lear Asset Management, the company whose security guard was involved in the incident. He faces several charges, including battery and false imprisonment.
On Tuesday, the court viewed many never-before-seen videos showing security guards from Lear Asset Management pulling Borrenpohl from her chair. The guards acted under the direction of Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris.
“It was completely violating, it was dehumanizing, it was embarrassing,” Borrenpohl testified.
Defendant Paul Trouette listened to her testimony in court today. Borrenpohl identified him as one of those who got physical while removing her from the meeting.
Other court video showed Borrenpohl being dragged into the hallway and physically restrained. She testified that her shirt came up during the incident, leaving her bra exposed while pinned by guards.
Borrenpohl expressed fear about what might happen once she was alone with the guards.
“These men were so brazenly assaulting me I didn’t know what they would do if they got me alone,” she said.
During testimony, Borrenpohl admitted she was intentionally disrupting the meeting and did not obey Sheriff Norris’s orders to leave.
Trouette’s defense argued that Borrenpohl and her friends broke rules and laws, which led to their removal. Defense questioned why she didn’t follow Sheriff Norris’s orders and argued that her disobedience caused the incident.
The defense worked to challenge her belief that she was acting within her rights. The defense also said the security guards were commanded to act on behalf of the sheriff.
If Trouette is found guilty, he may face time behind bars.
Sheriff Bob Norris is expected to testify on Wednesday. He has not yet taken the stand in the trial.
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