Coeur d'Alene town hall security detail remains mystery
KAYE THORNBRUGH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 month AGO
Kaye Thornbrugh is a second-generation Kootenai County resident who has been with the Coeur d’Alene Press for six years. She primarily covers Kootenai County’s government, as well as law enforcement, the legal system and North Idaho College. | February 22, 2025 8:20 PM
COEUR d’ALENE — The identities of the men who dragged a woman out of a legislative town hall in the Coeur d’Alene High School auditorium on Saturday remain a mystery, with event organizers claiming no knowledge of who arranged the security detail or which company was used.
Kootenai County Republican Central Committee Chair Brent Regan said the group’s legislative committee arranged security for the event but said he didn’t know what company they selected. He said he expected Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris to have the details.
“Bob (Norris) was right there,” he said Saturday afternoon. “Nothing was done without him being aware.”
Regan declined to share which central committee members might know more.
“I’m not going to say anything else,” he said.
Jamie Haas, who represents precinct 208 on the central committee and sits on the group’s legislative committee, told The Press she didn’t know who provided security for the event.
“I don’t think there’s anyone who coordinated it,” she said. “I’ve never personally met (the security detail) at all. The legislative committee never talked about it or voted on it or signed any contracts.”
Haas said she understood security at the event was somewhat heightened due to reports of a threat against Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur d’Alene, that occurred earlier in the day. Redman confirmed that Coeur d’Alene police are investigating a threat against his office that originated on social media.
“It could’ve even been the sheriff who coordinated (security), but I’m not sure,” Haas said.
Norris told The Press he came to the legislative town hall to lead the Pledge of Allegiance but remained onsite after because of “an active threat on a legislator and his family.”
He maintained that he didn’t know which company provided security for the event and said he knew nothing about the security arrangements.
“I did not contract with the security company,” he said. “I didn’t have anything to do with the security detail.”
Norris denied giving the unidentified, plainclothes security personnel any direction as they removed Post Falls resident Teresa Borrenpohl from the auditorium and detained her.
Video recordings from the event show Norris approached Borrenpohl as she heckled the legislators and told her to leave. Norris then took Borrenpohl’s arm with both hands and attempted several times to pull her out of her seat.
Norris stepped back, gestured to the unidentified people and pointed them toward Borrenpohl. As the men approached Borrenpohl and she asked who they were, she received no answer. Norris appeared to pull out his phone and record the incident.
“This man is assaulting me,” Borrenpohl shouted.
“You, out, now,” Norris shouted back, still using his phone.
Norris later said that Saturday’s chaos was the result of people who came to the town hall with the intention of disrupting it.
“We didn’t initiate this,” he said.
MORE FRONT-PAGE-SLIDER STORIES
Coeur d'Alene town hall security detail remains mystery
Bonner County Daily Bee | Updated 1 month ago
ARTICLES BY KAYE THORNBRUGH
Community Library Network’s new policies could fracture regional library consortium
For decades, the Community Information Network has enabled libraries in North Idaho and eastern Washington to share their collections and broadened patrons’ access to materials. Now a restrictive policy for minor library cardholders in the Community Library Network, unlike any other in the library consortium, could mean that patrons across the region lose access to library materials.
Washington man acquitted after fatal crash
A jury acquitted a Washington man who was accused of driving while under the influence and causing a crash that killed a Benewah County man.

North Idaho College settles Rumpler lawsuit
North Idaho College has settled a lawsuit leveled by a former employee.