Disrupting a town hall meeting might be uncivil, but assaulting and dragging someone out without proper security measures is another level of misconduct. That said, Democratic candidate Teresa Borrenpohl was in for a rude awakening after being approached by a sheriff and several hired goons at an Idaho town meeting. “Do you want me to pepper spray you?” he asked after she refused to leave for heckling the meeting’s speakers. Things quickly went south as Borrenpohl was promptly manhandled and dragged out while onlookers cheered.
“It was really violent and really traumatic,” Borrenpohl recalled, according to Coeur d’Alene Press. “They had grabbed my wrists. They contorted my body. They lifted me up and dropped me down.” The “they” in question were not even policemen on duty but a private security firm that weren’t properly dressed. From the start of the violent interaction until she had been dragged out like an animal, they refused to identify themselves, which is a red flag in itself. It goes without saying that this was an assault more than anything, and the security firm paid the price by having its license revoked in the city.
The shocking part of this incident was that no one did anything as the woman was forcefully assaulted in front of the audience. The event emcee Ed Bejarana even encouraged the brutality, saying, “We’ve got to be a little aggressive with some of these folks here,” and that “Your voice is meaningless.” Not only did no one help Borrenpohl, but many in the crowd cheered as she was taken away. “So this is how liberty dies… with thunderous applause,” remarks a comment on YouTube, referencing a quote from Star Wars: Episode III.
“Way to stand up while someone is being physically assaulted in front of you,” chimed in another. “This was not just an assault on her but on democracy,” states a third, “That sheriff needs to go,” they conclude, with hundreds of upvotes in agreement. “That lawsuit is going to be solid,” comments a user on Reddit.
All charges against Borrenpohl have been dropped, and the security firm, as well as the sheriff who started it all, are under investigation.
