Boise County Commissioner Darrell "Lindy" Lindstrom denies stabbing a teen girl during a riverside altercation with her family last August and is countersuing.
In a court document filed on Monday, Lindstrom denied the accusations and filed a counterclaim against the family.
Abby Beard, her teen daughter T.B. and young adult son Treyson filed a lawsuit at the beginning of April alleging Lindstrom and three other men — two of which were also named as defendants — aggressively approached them on the banks of the Payette River last year, resulting in an altercation with the commissioner.
The lawsuit states that “in fear for her life and to protect her children” Abby brandished a knife, Lindstrom wrestled it away from her and threatened to kill her. T.B., a minor, tried to intervene, which is when they contend the commissioner stabbed her in the leg.
In his counterclaim, Lindstrom says a belligerent group of people yelled profanities at his rafting party from the banks of the river, using "threatening and vulgar language and gestures.” The counterclaim says the riverside group attacked one of the men from his group of friends. Upon hearing of the assault, Lindstrom went to assist him.
He says Abby brandished a knife in an “angry and aggressive manner” and he intervened to stop her from “committing violence with a deadly weapon.”
He suffered a cut on his hand as a result of the altercation. While Lindstrom was defending himself, he says the teen girl and adult son hit him.
Following the incident, the commissioner and his party left the area.
“Despite being encouraged by law enforcement to press charges against Abby, T.B. and Treyson, Lindstrom and his friends elected not to pursue criminal charges and proceeded with his their raft trip,” the counterclaim says.
The commissioner is seeking damages for pain, suffering and severe emotional distress.
After the initial lawsuit, Boise County asked the Idaho Attorney General’s Office to look into allegations that county commissioners interfered with the sheriff’s office’s investigation into the incident.
