BOISE COUNTY, Idaho — Newly filed video and body camera footage are offering a closer look at a violent Payette River altercation that led to a civil lawsuit against Boise County Commissioner Darrell Lindstrom and several other men.
Attorney Terri Pickens, who represents the Beard family, says the footage supports her clients’ claims that they were attacked during the August 2025 confrontation near Horseshoe Bend.
WATCH | Attorney speaks out after new Payette River fight footage filed—
Pickens, who is also the Democratic candidate for Idaho governor, shared the footage with Idaho News 6 this week.
The lawsuit alleges Lindstrom, his son-in-law Lloyd Asher and other men attacked the Beard family after the groups became involved in a confrontation near a river takeout area.
The Beard family claims the men had been recklessly operating jet skis near their rafts while drinking alcohol.
“And when we filed the pleadings with the court, along with the video, it, in our opinion, establishes that my clients were not the aggressors,” Pickens told Idaho News 6. “That my clients were standing on the beach and were charged.”
According to the civil complaint, Lindstrom stabbed a teenage girl identified as “T.B.” during the fight. The lawsuit also alleges Abby Beard and her son Treyson Beard were injured during the altercation. The Beard family is seeking damages exceeding $100,000.
Lindstrom has denied the allegations and filed a counterclaim seeking more than $10,000 in damages, attorney fees and associated costs. In the filing, Lindstrom claims he was injured while attempting to take a knife away from Abby Beard.
Body camera footage recorded by a responding Boise County sheriff’s deputy captures Lindstrom describing the altercation.
“Just holding it and just trying to get the knife out of her hand because it's one thing to throw hands, but this is bad,” Lindstrom says in the footage.
Pickens claims Lindstrom identified himself as commissioner while speaking with deputies after the incident. Idaho News 6 did not independently observe those statements in the footage provided.
However, in one portion of the body camera video, Lindstrom tells deputies he had already called “Scott,” an apparent reference to Boise County Sheriff Scott Turner.
“Yeah, I called Scott,” Lindstrom says in the footage.
The body camera video also includes a deputy referencing a prior interaction with Lindstrom.
“I know you. I stopped you and your wife over at the Long Branch, remember?” the deputy says in the video. “I put you in handcuffs, and I let you go.”
“At the end of the day, the evidence is going to speak for itself,” Pickens said.
Lindstrom’s attorney told Idaho News 6 they had no statement at this time.
The Boise County Sheriff’s Office confirmed it forwarded the investigation to the Idaho Attorney General’s Office.
In a statement to Idaho News 6, the attorney general’s office said it is investigating allegations of interference with a law enforcement investigation, but not the underlying altercation itself.
