Woman files lawsuit after arrest for Facebook post concerning Trinidad water supply issues
Police in the City of Trinidad, located in Henderson County around an hour south-east of Dallas, arrested Jennifer Combs on May 8 and charged her with felony false alarm or report.
Her arrest stems from a Facebook post she made on her ‘Southern Belle Watch' account, where she claimed that the city's water issues had led to hospitalizations due to bacteria.
The post, in part, reads:
"We have received reports that some citizens have been hospitalized due to bacteria in the water. This is a serious public health concern that deserves immediate attention. If your water looks discolored, contains sediment, has a strong odor, or you have experienced related health issues, please send us a message. We are gathering information and reporting findings to the state."
The Trinidad Police Department, in an Apr. 6 Facebook post of their own, said Combs wrote "false information that creates fear, panic, or unnecessary emergency response within a community."
A May 10 post from Trinidad Police Chief Charles Gregory doubled down on the decision to arrest Combs.
Gregory claimed the case was "cut and dry," and Combs' claims about hospitalizations "are simply false and have only caused unnecessary fear and confusion in our community."
https://www.fox4news.com/news/woman-arr ... -poisoningCombs described the city's water supply as looking like "the Trinity River is flowing from their water taps."
A water boil had previously been issued for Trinidad on Apr. 21, several weeks after both Combs' post and the Trinidad Police Department's post. The boil was lifted on Apr. 23.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) confirmed to FOX 4 it received a complaint regarding the water quality in Trinidad, and that an investigation is ongoing.
Trinidad officials did not deny that the city is struggling with its water supply. Dennis Haws, the Mayor of Trinidad, told Sentendrey on Tuesday that the city's water pipes date back to the 1950s.
"We have to get to a position where we can fix that infrastructure, and it’s very expensive as I’m sure you can imagine," Haws said. "The city’s water situation is a struggle, without question."
Haws would not confirm if anyone had gotten sick from drinking the city's water, but says there have been discussions on creating a committee to focus on the water issues.
