A Texas police department has been ordered to shut down following its controversial arrest of a local resident for criticizing the town’s drinking water on social media.

The state ruled the police department provided no “benefit to the community.”

According to KETK, investigators from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) conducted a law enforcement agency inspection of the police department in August.

“The findings from their inspection revealed that Trinidad PD failed to meet the minimum standards law enforcement agencies are required to follow by state law,” KETK stated.

Trinidad PD’s ability to make or maintain peace officer appointments was revoked.

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KETK explained further:

This decision from TCOLE means that all TCOLE licenses, which officers need to serve as law enforcement in Texas, must be separated from Trinidad Police Department positions by Friday.

TCOLE noted that this decision doesn’t remove the City of Trinidad’s responsibility for preserving Trinidad PD’s personnel records, reporting Trinidad PD’s motor vehicle stop data for 2026 or investigating any unresolved misconduct allegations involving Trinidad PD.

Any unresolved misconduct allegations involving Trinidad PD licensees must be investigated, resolved, documented and reported to TCOLE within 30 days from the licensee’s separation from the agency, which would be Friday for any remaining licensed officers.

TCOLE’s decision came after Henderson County’s 392nd Judicial District Court Judge R. Scott McKee sent a letter to former Trinidad Police Chief Charles Gregory earlier this year warning him about officers withholding information from the court. Gregory resigned from his position as Trinidad Police Chief around the same time as when McKee sent his letter in June.

The disbanding of the Trinidad PD follows the arrest of Jennifer Combs, who said she was arrested over a Facebook post saying residents had been hospitalized after consuming the water in Trinidad.

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.

Woman Claims She Was Jailed For Facebook Post Warning About Town’s Water Quality, Files Lawsuit

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Police defended the arrest, claiming Combs’ post had created “fear, panic, or unnecessary emergency response within a community” — despite the city itself posting a notice urging residents to boil their water to “avoid harmful bacteria” on April 21, weeks before her arrest.

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Despite the mounting contradictions, Trinidad Police Chief Charles Gregory doubled down — calling the case against Combs “cut and dry.”

Police also arrested a supporter of Combs, citizen journalist Winston Noles, for misdemeanor disorderly conduct after he displayed a “f–k bad cops” sign outside city hall, FOX 4 reported.

Combs’ arrest quickly drew national attention, prompting Gregory to drop the felony charge against her and the state to launch its investigation into the department.

The charge against Noles was also dropped.

Gregory resigned on June 19 — despite telling a Trinidad City Council meeting he had “nothing to hide” regarding the arrests of Combs and Noles, Fox 4 reported.

After his resignation, the judge who approved Combs’ search warrant wrote a scathing letter questioning “the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of information” two Trinidad officers had presented to him and Gregory’s leadership.

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