Bradshaw responds to complaint questions

SANDPOINT — A question surrounding a civil order of protection involving two county commissioners prompted a discussion on how the order was granted — as well as the reasons and repercussions surrounding the case.

During a Bonner County commissioners meeting last month, Commissioner Steve Bradshaw responded to questions regarding the civil order of protection against him.

Earlier this year, Commissioner Asia Williams filed the order against Bradshaw after he allegedly threatened to shoot her in the head. However, many residents have since voiced concerns about how the order was granted and whether the reasons are legitimate.

During the Nov. 14 meeting, a woman who had just gotten out of a 25-year abusive marriage made a public comment, asking questions about the deputy who has been instructed to sit in on commissioners meetings.

“Is one or more commissioners receiving special treatment that women and men like myself would never receive?” she asked. “Would I get a taxpayer-funded sheriff bodyguarding me?”

To this, Williams responded that she is tired of hearing people make comments about her protection order.

“It’s a little disheartening that people sit in this room and allow, as the chair, people to assault someone who achieved the standard necessary for the restraining order,” Williams said. “I’ve sat through it over and over in this meeting. For people to continue bringing it up is absolutely mind-boggling. It is the first time in the history of the country; it isn’t normal. Which means the evidence presented was substantial enough to achieve it.”

Williams told the audience the deputy has to sit in the back of the room because of the decisions Bradshaw made, declining the county’s offer to allow him to remotely attend the meetings from another location. As a third party reported the incident, she said it could not be construed as a “he said, she said” situation, and thus there should be no discrepancy regarding the issue.

The District 2 commissioner asked the audience why the blame was placed on her and why no one was asking Bradshaw why he did what he did.

“We are here because he did it,” she said. “So stop pushing your stuff my direction. Hold the person who caused it responsible for why that [sheriff] is in the back.”

“Maybe that’s what they’re doing,” Bradshaw responded.

Williams accused Commission Chair Luke Omodt of allowing people to harass her during these meetings, claiming it was unreasonable and inappropriate.

Another public commenter addressed a question to Bradshaw.

“Since no one else has asked it, I’ll ask it,” he said. “Steve, why did you threaten to shoot Ms. Williams?”

To that, Bradshaw responded that he never did.

“Nobody ever heard me say that,” he said. “Ms. Williams never heard me say that. Mr. Jostlein perjured himself on the stand. So there you go. I can say I had dinner with President Trump last night. I can even write that down. But that doesn’t make it so, does it?”

The public commenter then asked Bradshaw if he left an aggressive voicemail on Prosecutor Louis Marshall’s phone or if it was someone else.

“That was absolutely me,” he said. “His behavior since then has verified that what I said was absolutely 100% correct.”