BONNERS FERRY — A former Boundary County jail employee is facing a charge of aggravated battery after authorities claim he beat an inmate in January 2023. However, charges were not filed until Sept. 8, 2025.  

A preliminary hearing for Bryan Brown, 37, has been set for Nov. 17 at the Boundary County Courthouse. Two previous hearing dates were vacated for unspecified reasons. A $50,000 bond was set and posted. Brown has not yet entered a plea to the charges. 

The charge stems from a Jan. 3, 2023 incident in which an inmate wanted on a misdemeanor warrant out of Kootenai County was arrested by Bonners Ferry Police Department. The Herald does not name the victims in criminal cases.  

According to a probable cause affidavit by Sheriff's Detective Brandon Blackmore, the man was intoxicated and was allegedly verbally abusive and uncooperative to jail staff.  After exchanging a contentious verbal exchange with Brown, the man entered his holding cell. It was then, according to Blackmore’s testimony that Brown shoved the man against a glass window inside the cell and struck him with a fist, causing his head to hit a brick wall in the cell. 

The man allegedly attempted to grab Brown’s arms to stop the blows but otherwise did not resist. The affidavit alleges that Brown then grabbed the man’s throat with both hands and slammed his head into the brick wall.  

Blackmore testified in the affidavit that Sheriff’s Deputy Rantlett entered the cell and grasped the man’s right arm and back, but they were pulled from his grasp by Brown.  The man was flung across the cell at which point Brown allegedly delivered multiple knee strikes to his head.  

After the incident, the man was transported to Boundary Community Hospital and later to Kootenai County Jail.