An Idaho woman says her right to freedom of speech was violently “stripped” when she was forced to remove her by three unidentified men at city hall led by a local Republican committee.
The Kootenai County Republican Central Committee identified Teresa Borenpole as the woman who took the video from the committee’s town hall on Saturday. In a Facebook post, the committee said Borenpole “screamed the councillor in shaming,” causing disruption to city hall several times before being asked to leave.
A video of the incident posted online showed the moment before an argument that seemed to have old audiences at the event “popping out” with “silly remarks.”
The woman, now identified as Borenpole, cried out, “Is this a town hall or a lecture?”
The video shows a man holding a sheriff’s hat telling the woman to leave or be arrested. The man identified himself as Cootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris.
“We’re asking you to leave the video, wake up or be escorted,” Norris said in the video.
Boren Paul refuses to leave, and Norris pulls her arm multiple times to try to remove her. He then instructs her to wear black clothes and remove her.
In the video, Boren Paul repeatedly asks the men who he is, but they do not answer. Norris is seen several steps away by calling and apparently filming the incident as a man in a black glove from Borenpole.
She also asked Norris if they were representatives, but he didn’t respond. Norris cried out to her when he called out to accuse her of attacking her. Borenpole was then physically dragged out of her seat to the floor.
Committee chair Brent Regan said after at least seven suspensions of city hall, Borenpole has been removed by “licensed, bonded professional security.” He accused her of having a history of disrupting the meeting.
All attendees at City Hall were told they would be removed if they “do not respect the rights of others.”
“If Borenpole had respect for others, this wouldn’t have happened,” Regan said. “Don’t follow the simple rules of her decorations, the meeting caused an 18-minute delay, reducing the number of questions that lawmakers have time to answer.”
Regan also alleged that Boren Paul was quoted because of trespassing and battery on accusations that Boren Paul bit one of the men who removed her.
Coeur D’Alene Police Department Sgt. Jared Reneau told NBC News that there was never a trespass quote and that prosecutors moved Monday to dismiss the battery quote.
Lenaugh also said the police commissioner recommended that the city revoke the security guard’s license after the incident. Security company Lear Asset Management did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Borrenpohl has issued a statement to NBC News Affiliate KTVB.
“We could not imagine the right to free speech and our right to gather could be stripped of in such a violent way,” the statement said. “Due to the sensitivity and shock of the problem, I can’t talk about this situation right away, but I’ll let my voice heard when the time is right.”
GoFundMe has launched due to Borrenpohl’s legal fees, raising more than $94,000 as of Tuesday afternoon.
Idaho Democratic Chairman Lauren Nekotia has accused the event organizers of not allowing dialogue between lawmakers and constituents.
“It’s a very sad day when the event moderators dismissed her and untold her, and the dissenting woman was physically grabbed from public places by an unidentified man,” Nekochia said. “Idaho deserves better.”
Megan Kuntz and Tamara Cineres Carmelis, who were at City Hall, told KTVB that no one knew who the man dressed in black when he grabbed the borempole. The two also said they felt like Norris had escalated the situation.
The Cootenai County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the issue.
Both Kunz and Sines-Kermelis told KTVB that City Hall Energy was indicted and several people were screaming, but only those who opposed the panel were responsibly blamed.
“This is America, this is happening in our country. This is not an isolated incident in our country. Objection and freedom of speech are being restrained, so we see that this is happening. I think it’s important for people just to hear that,” Kunz said.
Coeur D’Alene Police Chief Lee White told local newspaper Coeur D’Alene Press that his department was in the parking lot at the time and only learned about the incident after Borrenpohl was removed.
“We must respect the first right of everyone, regardless of what side of the aisle we happen to sit on,” White told the newspaper. “I know there are probably people who would disagree with me and want me to take action.
