this post was submitted on 25 Feb 2025
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Summary

A GOP town hall in Idaho turned violent when private security, LEAR Asset Management, forcibly removed Teresa Borrenpohl for speaking out.

The incident escalated after Borrenpohl questioned a panelist’s anti-abortion stance, leading to her being dragged out by unmarked security. Sheriff Norris, present but in plainclothes, did not intervene initially.

LEAR, known for aggressive tactics, was revealed to have been hired by the town hall organizers. Police later revoked LEAR’s city license and clarified that removing someone for speaking out is unlawful.

The incident shows rising tensions and the blurring lines between political events and private security enforcement in conservative areas.

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[–] [email protected] 32 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

bro what is this, youtube? Fix your fucking title.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 hours ago

I dunno if it had been edited, but the current title matches the article.

[–] kreskin 14 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

I think we'd all like to assume that law enforcement wouldnt let their political opinions influence the performance of their sworn duties but time and again we see this sort of thing, and theres no real way to hold them to any account or standard of professionalism at all. They are a clear danger to everyone they come into contact with, and they even have state sponsored permission to lie and deceive in their interactions with you.

[–] GaMEChld 12 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Not that I disagree law enforcement needs a lot of fixing, but in this case I have to clarify the facts.

This was not law enforcement, this was private security. Actual law enforcement pulled the private group's license because of this.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago) (1 children)

An interesting note though; It was the ~~town~~ county sheriff that made first contact with her and he ordered the private security to remove her.

The sheriff so far is facing no punishment.

[–] edgesmash 6 points 7 hours ago

County sheriff, not town sheriff.

[–] Boddhisatva 128 points 16 hours ago (6 children)

The unmarked security force were from a private security firm called LEAR Asset Management, the Press reported, but Sheriff Norris “claimed no knowledge of the security personnel or who hired them.”

Wait, so the sheriff, admits that he just watched three unidentified men assault a woman in front of him, and that he has no knowledge of who they are or who hired them, and he took no action at all. If he knows nothing about them or who hired them, how would he know that they were providing security? This is brown shirts in action and the sheriff is clearly one of them. Terrifying.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago)

He didn't just watch; he was the first to make contact with her, then commanded the private security himself 'boys get her'.

https://youtu.be/-lxu3Ff_s14

[–] RampantParanoia2365 13 points 8 hours ago

I mean, it seems pretty clear he knew exactly who they were, and he decided to look the other way, which is just as bad.

[–] MajinBlayze 10 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Remember, the police in the US have no duty to protect

[–] kreskin 10 points 8 hours ago

or to be truthful in their interactions.

And except for when you're driving, you have no responsibility to talk with them unless you're in a stop and identify state: Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah, and Wisconsin.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_and_identify_statutes

You're not required to identify yourself or talk with them unless you are formally being detained, which is about the only thing they have to tell the truth about. They are not worth talking to in any situatuion, and they are never "off duty" So they are never worth talking to after work either. They should always be ignored and interacted with as little as possible.

[–] P1k1e 16 points 12 hours ago

Sheriffs are known for being gangsters, probably just another day in the park for him

[–] sartalon 50 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) (2 children)

Not just watched, he's the one in the video telling her she needs to leave and then had the "private security" remove her.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 9 hours ago

So he gave the illegal order to remove her to vigilantes he didn't know as law enforcement, and he's not in trouble?

[–] Boddhisatva 25 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

But he doesn't know who hired them? Who was in charge of security for the event. How would the local sheriff no know that?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 12 hours ago

Does their lawsuit shield come off them when their badge comes off?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Wasn't he the guy who mocked and belittled her as she was assaulted? The only who called her a little girl?

[–] Boddhisatva 2 points 8 hours ago

According to the article that was the moderator of the town hall who said that. Some website developer named, Ed Bejarana. No clue if he was involved with security, but he certainly seemed to be getting off on watching a woman get abused.

[–] jaybone 42 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

It’s interesting, the tv news i saw about this said that the organizers said that this wasn’t a “town hall” it was a private Republican Party event, and therefore people were not allowed to interrupt and they were allowed to hire their own private security.

This article makes it sound like they are walking that initial stance back a bit.

[–] Frozengyro 39 points 14 hours ago (2 children)

I mean a town hall in a rural part of Idaho kind of is a republican party event....

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 hours ago

Sure but not private lol

[–] gAlienLifeform 26 points 14 hours ago (2 children)

Allowing them to violently repress the people living in that town who do disagree with them won't do anything to make this country better

[–] theherk 5 points 4 hours ago

The irl equivalent of “flaired users only”.

[–] Frozengyro 15 points 14 hours ago

Sadly less than half of us know that, but you are correct.

[–] BassTurd 46 points 16 hours ago (2 children)

If you're anywhere, and someone in plain clothes tries to force you to do anything and they haven't identified as police, start fucking swinging, especially if it's somewhere like this where it's clear that they don't have authority. They committed assault and it's perfectly legal to defend yourself if you feel threatened. In the end, you probably still end up getting dragged out, but maybe you can break a Nazi's nose, or if your lucky and hit them in the right spot hard enough, you could kill a Nazi.

At the very least, Teresa needs to sue everyone involved. Make being a fascist at least hurt.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 13 hours ago (2 children)

Sounds like a good way to end up sitting in jail for assaulting an officer. Yeah, you're within your rights to defend yourself. Your day is still fucked and your foreseeable future is probably fucked too until you win the court battle in a few years.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 31 minutes ago

Almost happened to a friend of mine. Good thing he was on his way to babysit the commissioner's kids when the "goons" (who were actually plainclothes officers looking for drugs traffickers, but never identified themselves before they caught him) attacked him.

[–] BassTurd 11 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

I'm this particular circumstance, they weren't lawfully allowed to touch her let alone remove her to my understanding. If I misinterpreted, then yea don't hit cops, they will ~~shoot~~ hit back and then take you to jail. Obviously if it's an office in plain clothes, they are still cops, but if not, swing away like your life depends on it, because it just may.

Mostly just an emotional response to a shitty situation, but one of these days, regardless of who it is and their authority, swinging might be the last option.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

The problem with plain clothes is it's kinda hard to tell if they're a cop or just security,. especially in the heat of the moment.

[–] BassTurd 9 points 11 hours ago

Yea I get it. I'm unfortunately reaching the point where to me it doesn't matter because something/someone needs to be the Luigi for this movement. Punching a plain clothes cop in the mouth isn't shooting a CEO, but on the news, it could be an inspiration for a movement.

10+ years ago, the rhetoric that the GOP uses in normal conversation today would have been a career ender. Trump being the piece of shit he is, said it all out loud and that made it acceptable for other cunts to do the same. Racism, Bigotry, Antisemitism, they're all acceptable now because someone broke through that barrier. Maybe defending one's freedom with violence against the cross burners could have the same normalizing effect.

[–] vinyl 9 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

Don't think it's a good idea to start swinging if the event is full of numb nuts with guns.

[–] gAlienLifeform 8 points 14 hours ago

I mean, if you can put yourself at the center of a crossfire event and make sure two or more get hurt as badly as you do it's a net positive

[–] [email protected] 117 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (10 children)

“That little girl is afraid to leave!” Bejarana called from the stage. “She spoke up and now she doesn’t want to suffer the consequences.”

What a fucking piece of shit.

Edited to add - there aren't supposed to be any consequences for speaking up. That's part of what we supposedly all value about our nation you fucking poseurs wrapped in your US flag and preamble to the constitution prints!

[–] [email protected] 35 points 18 hours ago

"burn the witch!" - Bejarana (almost certainly)

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[–] [email protected] 113 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) (1 children)

Support. But there's nothing shocking here unless you just woke up in January. The state has been dragging anti-genocide protesters out of everywhere for more than a year. Trying to kick them out of school, deport them, etc. LA wanted to hire mercenaries. Nothing new at all.

[–] [email protected] 44 points 18 hours ago

It has been going on a lot longer than that.

Don't taze me bro!

Pepperidge Farm always Remembers.

[–] [email protected] 46 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

Link to incident. No news coverage, just the incident. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-aPFGNO5Wg

[–] [email protected] 8 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

The most horrifying part to me is the boomers watching dispassionately as she's dragged away.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 13 hours ago

Yeah, the Republicans thought it was a good thing to get rid of her. First Amendment anyone?

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[–] Bytemeister 21 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Burn stuff. You've got a constitutional and legal right to assembly and speech. If they don't recognize that, then you don't have to recognize their position of power and authority laid out by the same constitutional and legal framework.

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[–] [email protected] 22 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Ah, PMCs. PMCs are probably just as bad if not worse than brown-shirt like paramilitary, because they get paid to not have morals, and are usually far more coordinated and dangerous.

They're still soulless, brainless thugs, but motivated by easy money rather than pure ideology.

It's quite possible that the tech bro brought them with. The sheriff not doing shit though? That's a concern.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

The Constitutional sheriffs movement.

It's ....not good.

...contend that federal and state government authorities are subordinate to the local authority of county sheriffs and police. Self-described constitutional sheriffs assert that they are the supreme legal authority with the power and duty to defy or disregard laws they regard as unconstitutional.[2][3] As a result, they may sometimes be referred to as sovereign sheriffs.[4]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_Sheriffs_and_Peace_Officers_Association

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/constitutional-sheriffs-far-right-movement-1235103658/

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/constitutional-sheriffs-las-vegas-conference-rcna147487

https://www.npr.org/2022/10/22/1130755532/inside-the-constitutional-sheriff-movement

https://www.splcenter.org/resources/extremist-files/constitutional-sheriffs/

[–] [email protected] 43 points 18 hours ago

Sue the shit out of them. It’s all on video.

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