Robert Norris (sheriff)

Robert Brian Norris is the 13th Sheriff of Kootenai County, Idaho.

Since Norris's career at the Los Angeles Sheriff's Dept, he's been a volunteer for the Kootenai County Search and Rescue team from mid-2017 to late-2019, and was put on administrative leave due to political interference.

Norris was appointed to the office on January 1, 2021.

Due to his predecessor leaving the office early, he was appointed unanimously by the Kootenai County board of commissioners.

He started his appointed term as Sheriff on January 1, 2021, and ended on January 10, 2021.

He was officially sworn in as the elected Kootenai County Sheriff on January 11, 2021.

North Idaho Exposed Incident

In Norris's first month as Kootenai County Sheriff, a video surfaced online of him pulling out pepper spray while talking to a man who was recording a traffic stop.

It appeared to show Brad Nelson, a citizen of Kootenai County, asking questions regarding a traffic stop.

After Nelson got, what looked about, 15 feet away from the stop, so Lt. Higgins and Norris could hear his questions, Norris approached Nelson and asked him to step back.

Nelson was apprehensive and told Norris to, "Shut the fuck up and get back to work."

Norris stepped closer to Nelson and grabbed pepper spray from out of his belt, and told him loudly if he didn't step back he would use it.

Nelson moved back.

Nelson, after the confrontation, gave the video he had recorded to Casey Whalen, a self-described independent journalist.

Whalen then uploaded Nelson's video to his YouTube channel with over 16,000 subscribers.

The video got upwards of 20,000 views in the first week it had been uploaded.

Many local papers and news stations covered the altercation, making the video go increasingly viral.

After the video had received 30,000 views, and many of his critics attacking him for the way he handled himself, Norris released a public statement saying, "The idea of local citizens using their video cameras with the intention of harassing our local officers and interfering with their duties, only to get characterized later online as if we were in the wrong, contributes toward this national disgrace."

Many residents felt as if his response to the incident lacked compassion and was worse than his actual behavior during the altercation.

The video has now received 40,000 views.

COVID-19 Pandemic

Norris's response to the COVID-19 pandemic sought to make sure that law enforcement had little to no say, on what happens between "you and your doctor".

The office's position was not particularly stated, however, Norris did campaign on an anti-mask rhetoric.

On the day he was officially sworn in as the elected Sheriff, he released a press statement saying that he would not enforce dictates on healthy citizens; however, he never specifically mentioned mask enforcement nor COVID restrictions.

Although he never mentioned COVID-19 by name, people took it as his way of saying he would not force or mandate anyone to follow guidelines set in place by Governor Brad Little.

This was a widely accepted position by many residents of Kootenai County.

'Explicit' Books

In 2023, Sheriff Robert Norris raised concerns about books with explicit and sexual content in local libraries.

He defeated the Independent candidate for Sheriff, Mike Bauer, in the 2020 Kootenai County Sheriff race, making him the first Kootenai County Sheriff-elect to not have any prior connection with the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office.

Before becoming Sheriff, he was a lieutenant with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

During Norris's career at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, his assignments included patrol, custody, narcotics, gangs, investigations, counter-terrorism, and emergency preparedness.

Norris also graduated from the LASO's Leadership Certification program.

After 9/11 Norris was selected to lead a team at the newly created Joint Regional Intelligence Center to assist the United States during the war on terror.

Norris held an SCI and was responsible for managing personnel and resources from local, state, and federal agencies such as the FBI, CIA, and the US Attorney's Office while under the direction of Condoleezza Rice.

After leaving the JRIC, he was promoted to Lieutenant at the LASD by former Los Angeles Sheriff, Lee Baca.

Norris's association with Lee Baca and his perceived camaraderie with Paul Tanaka has led to claims of potential ties to the Lynwood Vikings, a group associated with white supremacy within the LASD.

Despite Norris refuting these allegations in a now-deleted Facebook video, where he attempted to demonstrate his non-membership by pouring water on his ankles, concerns persist.

(Numerous Vikings had tattoos featuring the number "998," symbolizing "officer-involved shooting," a practice indicating the officer has discharged their firearm.)

While Sheriff Norris has consistently denied any involvement in such affiliations during his tenure as Kootenai County Sheriff, it's crucial to acknowledge that the Kootenai County area has a historical association with anti-Semitism and racism, notably due to the presence of the Aryan Nations.

As of now, Sheriff Norris has not faced any accusations of racism or discrimination during his time in office.