MY TURN: A sheriff's betrayal of public trust: When power enables violence
In a disturbing display that has rightfully drawn national condemnation, Sheriff Bob Norris demonstrated Saturday that his conception of law enforcement extends only to advancing personal ideology, not protecting citizens. At a town hall meeting organized by the Kootenai County Republican Party, Dr. Teresa Borrenpohl became the latest victim of the increasingly hostile approach to public discourse in our community — not by random agitators, but enabled by the very person sworn to protect and serve.
The incident, captured on video and now circulating nationwide, reveals a deeply troubling abuse of authority. Sheriff Norris, out of uniform yet wielding his authority like a weapon, approached Dr. Borrenpohl and threatened her with arrest and pepper spray for the apparent crime of speaking during a public forum. When two unidentified men began to physically assault Dr. Borrenpohl, our sheriff's response was not to protect the citizen being attacked — instead, he stood back, laughed and recorded the assault on his phone.
The cruel irony cannot be ignored: While Sheriff Norris has devoted considerable resources to policing library book selections, he apparently finds entertainment in watching a woman being zip-tied, physically restrained and dragged from a public meeting. One must wonder: had these men been checking out books Sheriff Norris deemed inappropriate, would his response have been different? His priorities have become painfully clear — cultural warfare takes precedence over citizen safety.
This incident follows a pattern of selective law enforcement that has plagued our community. When racist agitators terrorized the University of Utah women's basketball team, forcing them to flee our city, the response was tepid. When white supremacists were caught planning to attack our Pride parade, it took citizen vigilance, not proactive law enforcement, to prevent violence. Now, we witness our sheriff actively participating in the intimidation of a citizen exercising her right to speak.
The moderator's comments that "this little girl is being taught a lesson" and must "face the consequences" for speaking up reveal the truly authoritarian mindset at play. Is this the message we want to send about public discourse in Kootenai County? That physical assault is an acceptable response to verbal disagreement?
Sheriff Norris's conduct represents more than a dereliction of duty — it constitutes a betrayal of his oath of office. A law enforcement officer who gleefully records the assault of a citizen rather than preventing it has forgotten the fundamental purpose of his badge. His actions demonstrate not strength but weakness, not authority but authoritarianism, not leadership but the petty abuse of power.
As this video continues to circulate nationally, bringing shame upon our community, we must ask ourselves: how much longer can we afford leadership that mistakes brutality for strength? Sheriff Norris has proven himself not just unworthy of his office but dangerous to the very citizens he swore to protect. His badge has become not a shield for the vulnerable but a license for the powerful to abuse their authority.
The time has come for our community to demand better. We deserve a sheriff who understands that his duty is to protect all citizens, not just those who agree with him politically. One who recognizes that true strength lies in upholding the law, not selectively enforcing it. And most critically, one who would never stand by — much less laugh and record — while citizens are assaulted for daring to speak.
Sheriff Norris, your badge is not a crown, and your authority is not absolute. The citizens of Kootenai County are watching, the nation is watching and history will judge your actions not by the power you wielded, but by the trust you betrayed.
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Bailey O’Neil is a Spirit Lake (former Coeur d'Alene) resident.