A set of handcuffs is pictured.
California – Five employees of a controversial Northern California security company have been criminally charged after forcibly removing a woman from a town hall in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho — an incident that was caught on video and quickly went viral.
The employees, all from Lear Asset Management, a Mendocino County-based private security firm, are accused of battery, false imprisonment, and failing to wear required uniforms or visible identification during the February 22 Republican event. The woman, Teresa Borrenpohl, was dragged from her seat and carried out of the building by her arms and legs by several men in plainclothes as she repeatedly resisted and shouted, “Who are these guys?”
Among those charged is Lear’s CEO, Paul Trouette, who faces multiple misdemeanor counts including four counts of battery, two counts of false imprisonment, and one count for violating uniform requirements. Four other employees — Alex Trouette IV, Russell Dunne, Christofer Berg, and Jesse Jones — also face various charges. A sixth man, Michael Keller, unaffiliated with the company, was separately charged with battery.
Lear Asset Management, founded in 2012, has become known for its aggressive tactics while working with private landowners, marijuana growers, and logging companies across the Pacific Northwest. The company’s personnel, often armed and clad in camouflage, have long sparked controversy. Environmental activists have accused Lear employees of using harassment and psychological intimidation during protests, including loud broadcasts of animal screams and political talk radio to unnerve tree-sitters.
According to the city attorney’s office, Lear violated a Coeur d’Alene ordinance by deploying private security agents who did not wear uniforms or display visible identification. As a result, the city revoked the company’s business license. Initially, Borrenpohl was cited for allegedly biting one of the men during the altercation, but officials later dismissed the charge.
Following the incident, Borrenpohl wrote on Instagram, “I could have never imagined my right to free speech and my right to assemble could be stripped in such a violent way.”
Lear’s website claims partnerships with law enforcement agencies including the FBI, DEA, BLM, and California state parks, but the company’s tactics and this latest incident have drawn renewed scrutiny.
City officials say the case is now moving forward in court, with all six men scheduled to appear on misdemeanor charges in the coming weeks.
