A Texas woman said she was arrested over a Facebook post, saying residents had been hospitalized after consuming the water in Trinidad.

“Trinidad officials confirmed that the city has been having water issues, but wouldn’t say if anyone had been hospitalized,” FOX 4 stated.

Jennifer Combs filed a lawsuit against the city and multiple officials, alleging her arrest was “political retaliation.”

“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 Facebook post, from her page called ‘Southern Belle Watch,’ read.

The Trinidad Police Department said her post was “false information that creates fear, panic, or unnecessary emergency response within a community.”

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Police charged Combs with “felony false alarm or report.”

More below:

International Business Times shared further:

Following her release, Combs initiated federal litigation against the City of Trinidad, Chief Gregory and other figures. The legal filing explicitly argues the apprehension was ‘an act of deliberate political retaliation’. Her attorney provided a statement regarding the situation.

Grisham stated, ‘The City of Trinidad has become a cautionary tale of what happens when unchecked ego masquerades as governance.’ He accused leadership of engaging in retaliatory actions against those seeking accountability. ‘Trinidad deserves leaders who serve its people, not officials who sacrifice them on the altar of wounded pride,’ he concluded.

Meanwhile, a Henderson County grand jury declined to indict Combs and a municipal judge dismissed the charges.

“The city’s water issues remain under investigation by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, but city officials have closed Trinidad City Hall until next Tuesday for unknown reasons,” FOX 4 noted.

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Combs, who says she was simply trying to investigate, maintains people have reported hospitalization, and the mayor says he’s at least seen social media posts claiming the same.

“So I came out to Trinidad because I found out that the Chief of Police had arrested a lady for making a Facebook post,” said Noles.

He protested Combs’ arrest with a sign we cannot show on television, reading, “*expletive* bad cops.”

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“We are in a crisis with the First Amendment right now,” said Noles. “I don’t like the bad part of law enforcement. I like good cops.”

18-minutes into Noles’ livestream, he was arrested and charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct for the sign.

“What they did to me was so clearly unconstitutional that any reasonable officer should’ve known better,” said Noles.

On Thursday, however, Trinidad’s municipal judge said Noles’ case is being dismissed, and a Henderson County Grand Jury no-billed Combs’ case, meaning it’s dismissed due to a lack of evidence.

Now, for unknown reasons, Trinidad’s City Hall is now closed until next Tuesday, while many continue to ask what exactly is going on with the water?

 

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