COEUR d’ALENE — Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris temporarily reinstated the special deputy status of two Coeur d’Alene law enforcement leaders just days after revoking it, according to public records, but has yet to restore the status of Rathdrum’s police chief. 

Norris revoked the privileges of Coeur d’Alene Police Chief Lee White, Capt. Dave Hagar and Rathdrum Police Chief Dan Haley in early December, a move that city leaders alleged was an act of retaliation. 

Since then, Norris has restored the status for White and Hagar. 

“The revocation of your cross-deputization is held in abeyance pending further discussion at a later date, which means that each of you are cross-deputized and able to perform police functions,” Undersheriff Brett Nelson said in a Dec. 16 email to Hagar. 

In Idaho, peace officers only have policing power within their political subdivisions, with some exceptions. For example, a Post Falls police officer may generally only conduct law enforcement activities within city limits, except in cases such as violent crime and hot pursuit or when responding to a call for assistance from another agency.  

County sheriffs are empowered by law to cross-deputize peace officers from other agencies, granting them authority to operate throughout the county.  

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office has hundreds of special deputies or special deputy advisers. Many are members of city police departments in the county and other area law enforcement agencies. 

Before the status was restored, White said the revocation was likely to impact the Kootenai County Joint Agency SWAT team, which includes 14 Coeur d’Alene officers. White said it would be inappropriate for his agency to cede control of those officers to the sheriff’s department without oversight or supervision from Coeur d’Alene PD’s leadership. 

The Coeur d’Alene Police Department declined to comment on the restoration Thursday. 

“I don’t have a comment other than to say we look forward to working with the Coeur d’Alene Police Department for the betterment of our community,” Undersheriff Brett Nelson said. 

For Rathdrum Police Chief Dan Haley, nothing has changed. 

“My special deputy status has not been reinstated,” Haley told The Press on Thursday. 

He declined to comment further. In December, he said he had received no explanation for why Norris had revoked his special deputy privileges. 

Norris revoked Haley’s special deputy privileges days before Haley was set to testify in the criminal trial of Paul Trouette, who was convicted last month of battering several people during a legislative town hall at Coeur d’Alene High School last February. 

Before he became Rathdrum’s police chief in October of last year, Haley was a detective in the Coeur d’Alene Police Department and led the investigation into the town hall incident. 

Footage from the event showed Norris take hold of a woman who spoke out of turn, attempt to pull her from her seat and threaten to pepper spray her. 

Last month, White suggested that Norris’ decision to revoke his special deputy status and that of two others was retaliatory. 

“It sounds like the sheriff did this because apparently he was mad that he was listed as a suspect in the town hall report, even though that’s not factual at all,” White told The Press at the time. 

Though Norris is mentioned in police reports on the town hall, he is not listed as a suspect. In November, following an investigation, the Idaho Attorney General’s Office declined to file battery charges against Norris for his actions at the town hall and said he acted within his authority.