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.