Latest news with #PaulTrouette
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
California security firm CEO, workers charged after woman forcibly removed from Republican town hall
Five employees of a private Northern California security company, known for using controversial tactics, have been charged in connection with a February incident in Idaho where an audience member in a Republican town hall was forcibly removed by men in plainclothes. The men, wearing civilian clothing, pulled the woman from her seat and carried her out of the building by her arms and feet as she resisted and repeatedly asked who they were. "Who are these guys?" she shouts in the video as the unidentified men grab her to eject her from the building. On Wednesday, officials in the Idaho city of Coeur d'Alene said those men were from the security company Lear Asset Management and were facing several misdemeanor charges in connection with the incident, including not wearing a uniform or visible security identification. The company's chief executive, Paul Trouette, was listed among the defendants and is also charged with four counts of battery, two counts of false imprisonment, and one count of security agent uniform violation, according to the city attorney's office. The four other employees, identified as Alex Trouette IV, Russell Dunne, Christofer Berg and Jesse Jones, also face additional charges, including battery and false imprisonment. A sixth man, Michael Keller, who authorities say is not affiliated with the company, is also charged with battery in connection with the incident. Neither Paul Trouette nor his company responded to requests for comment. Founded and based in the small town of Willits, in Mendocino County, Lear Asset Management was founded by Trouette in 2012, according to state records. The company attracted clients in the logging industry, as well as from marijuana growers and private landowners looking to eradicate unlicensed grows. In operations, its employees were often seen heavily armed and wearing camouflage. The firm was at times contracted by companies who clashed with environmentalists. One activist told SFGate they faced Lear employees while protesting Humboldt Redwood Co.'s operations. Sarah Luttio told the publication that during protests from 2019 to 2022, where they sat in trees to prevent them from being removed, Lear employees used intimidation tactics including harassing them with floodlights and playing loud music, sounds of screaming animals and right-wing talk radio. According to its website, Lear Asset Management operates mainly in the Pacific Northwest. The company has worked with clients with "large land assets" such as timber companies but has also worked with schools, corporations and private assets. The company also touts that it works with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including local police and sheriff departments, California state parks, the Bureau of Land Management, FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration. In a 2014 article in Time, the magazine reported that Lear employed about 15 people, including former military personnel, who were being hired by large property owners to clear illegal pot grows, while wearing camouflaged gear and carrying AR-15 rifles. When video of the Feb. 22 incident in Idaho surfaced, it quickly turned viral online, with many wondering who the men were since they weren't wearing any type of uniform. Teresa Borrenpohl, the protester who was removed by the employees, later commented on the incident 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," she wrote. Two days after the violent confrontation, the city identified the men as employees of Lear Asset Management. Borrenpohl had been initially cited for allegedly biting one of the men, but city officials said the citation was dismissed. City officials also revoked the business license for Lear Asset Management for violating the city ordinance regarding private security companies. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
24-04-2025
- Los Angeles Times
California security firm CEO, workers charged after woman forcibly removed from Republican town hall
Five employees of a private Northern California security company, known for using controversial tactics, have been charged in connection with a February incident in Idaho where an audience member in a Republican town hall was forcibly removed by men in plainclothes. The men, wearing civilian clothing, pulled the woman from her seat and carried her out of the building by her arms and feet as she resisted and repeatedly asked who they were. 'Who are these guys?' she shouts in the video as the unidentified men grab her to eject her from the building. On Wednesday, officials in the Idaho city of Coeur d'Alene said those men were from the security company Lear Asset Management and were facing several misdemeanor charges in connection with the incident, including not wearing a uniform or visible security identification. The company's chief executive, Paul Trouette, was listed among the defendants and is also charged with four counts of battery, two counts of false imprisonment, and one count of security agent uniform violation, according to the city attorney's office. The four other employees, identified as Alex Trouette IV, Russell Dunne, Christofer Berg and Jesse Jones, also face additional charges, including battery and false imprisonment. A sixth man, Michael Keller, who authorities say is not affiliated with the company, is also charged with battery in connection with the incident. Neither Paul Trouette nor his company responded to requests for comment. Founded and based in the small town of Willits, in Mendocino County, Lear Asset Management was founded by Trouette in 2012, according to state records. The company attracted clients in the logging industry, as well as from marijuana growers and private landowners looking to eradicate unlicensed grows. In operations, its employees were often seen heavily armed and wearing camouflage. The firm was at times contracted by companies who clashed with environmentalists. One activist told SFGate they faced Lear employees while protesting Humboldt Redwood Co.'s operations. Sarah Luttio told the publication that during protests from 2019 to 2022, where they sat in trees to prevent them from being removed, Lear employees used intimidation tactics including harassing them with floodlights and playing loud music, sounds of screaming animals and right-wing talk radio. According to its website, Lear Asset Management operates mainly in the Pacific Northwest. The company has worked with clients with 'large land assets' such as timber companies but has also worked with schools, corporations and private assets. The company also touts that it works with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including local police and sheriff departments, California state parks, the Bureau of Land Management, FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration. In a 2014 article in Time, the magazine reported that Lear employed about 15 people, including former military personnel, who were being hired by large property owners to clear illegal pot grows, while wearing camouflaged gear and carrying AR-15 rifles. When video of the Feb. 22 incident in Idaho surfaced, it quickly turned viral online, with many wondering who the men were since they weren't wearing any type of uniform. Teresa Borrenpohl, the protester who was removed by the employees, later commented on the incident 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,' she wrote. Two days after the violent confrontation, the city identified the men as employees of Lear Asset Management. Borrenpohl had been initially cited for allegedly biting one of the men, but city officials said the citation was dismissed. City officials also revoked the business license for Lear Asset Management for violating the city ordinance regarding private security companies.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
6 men charged in woman's removal from Idaho town hall
Six men were charged by prosecutors in northern Idaho for removing a woman from a Kootenai County Republican Central Committee town hall in February. Teresa Borrenpohl, a former Democratic nominee for state office, was hauled out of the meeting by individuals in plain clothes who refused to identify themselves at her request. Five of them were hired by the private security firm Lear Asset Management, which had its license revoked by the city after the town hall, according to The Associated Press. Paul Trouette, Russell Dunne, Christofer Berg and Jesse Jones were charged with misdemeanor battery, false imprisonment, and violations of security agent duties and uniform requirements, while Alex Trouette IV is charged with security agent duties and uniform violations, the Coeur d'Alene City Prosecutor's office told The Hill. Michael Keller, who was not hired by the security firm, is being charged with misdemeanor battery, the prosecutor's office said. 'Town halls are intended to foster conversation and discourse across the aisle, which is why I am deeply alarmed that private security dragged me out of the public meeting for simply exercising my fundamental right of free speech,' Borrenpohl told AP. The incident comes as GOP leadership in Washington, D.C., has largely encouraged members of Congress to shy away from town halls amid vocal backlash from constituents, who many Republicans insist are Democratic activists. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) was the latest leader to face shouting and pointed questions at a town hall Monday about the Department of Government Efficiency's efforts to slash spending and overhaul the federal workforce under President Trump. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
22-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
6 men charged in woman's removal from Idaho town hall
Six men were charged by prosecutors in northern Idaho for removing a woman from a Kootenai County Republican Central Committee town hall in February. Teresa Borrenpohl, a former Democratic nominee for state office, was hauled out of the meeting by individuals in plain clothes who refused to identify themselves at her request. Five of them were hired by the private security firm Lear Asset Management, which had its license revoked by the city after the town hall, according to The Associated Press. Paul Trouette, Russell Dunne, Christofer Berg and Jesse Jones were charged with misdemeanor battery, false imprisonment, and violations of security agent duties and uniform requirements, while Alex Trouette IV is charged with security agent duties and uniform violations, the Coeur d'Alene City Prosecutor's told The Hill. Michael Keller, who was not hired by the security firm, is being charged with misdemeanor battery, the prosecutor's office said. 'Town halls are intended to foster conversation and discourse across the aisle, which is why I am deeply alarmed that private security dragged me out of the public meeting for simply exercising my fundamental right of free speech,' Borrenpohl told AP. The incident comes as GOP leadership in Washington has largely encouraged members of Congress to shy away from town halls amid vocal backlash from constituents, whom many Republicans insist are Democratic activists. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) was the latest leader to face shouting and pointed questions surrounding the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) efforts to slash spending and overhaul the federal workforce under President Trump.
Arab Times
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab Times
Private security guards charged after woman was dragged out of Idaho town hall meeting
WASHINGTON, April 22, (AP): Prosecutors in northern Idaho have filed misdemeanor charges against six men in connection with the forcible removal of a woman from a legislative town hall meeting in February. Theresa Borrenpohl, the woman who was dragged out of the meeting in a Coeur d'Alene school building by plain-clothed private security officers, also formally notified Kootenai County officials on Monday of her intent to sue by filing a tort claim notice. The Coeur d'Alene City Prosecutor's office said Monday that Paul Trouette, Russell Dunne, Christofer Berg and Jesse Jones are charged with misdemeanor battery, false imprisonment, and violations of security agent duties and uniform requirements. Alex Trouette IV, is charged with security agent duties and uniform violations. All five of the men are associated with the private security firm Lear Asset Management, which had its license revoked by the city after the town hall. A sixth man not associated with the security firm, Michael Keller, is charged with misdemeanor battery, the prosecutor's office said. Court documents detailing the charges have not yet been made public, and the Coeur d'Alene City Prosecutor's office declined to comment further. Dunne declined to to comment, and neither Berg nor Paul Trouette immediately responded to voice or email messages left by The Associated Press. Phone numbers could not be found for Jones, Keller or Alex Trouette. Roughly 450 people attended the legislative town hall hosted by the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee, according to organizers. Videos of the event show the room erupting into cheers and jeering at times. At at least one point, Borrenpohl, a Democratic legislative candidate who has run unsuccessfully in the deeply Republican region, joined the shouting. The video of the event showed Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris, who was in plain clothes but wearing his badge on his belt, approached Borrenpohl. He introduced himself and told her to leave or she would be escorted out.
