COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — A man is seeking $2.5 million in damages from Kootenai County, alleging that Sheriff Bob Norris violated his constitutional rights by removing him from a legislative town hall and zip-tying his hands after he spoke against the actions of then-unidentified security personnel.

Gregg Johnson filed a notice of tort claim against Kootenai County and Bob Norris on Aug. 20, according to public records obtained by the Press. A tort claim is not a lawsuit, but rather a precursor to a lawsuit against a governmental agency.

“The First Amendment is essential to our Republic,” Dan Sheckler, Johnson’s attorney, told the Press on Wednesday. “A sheriff cannot retaliate against citizens for objecting to how a woman is physically treated at a political event. The power of the badge

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