TRINIDAD, Texas—The police chief has resigned, a municipal judge has been ousted, city workers have been fired, and lawsuits are piling up after police arrested a local woman on felony charges over a Facebook post questioning the safety of the town’s tap water.
Drivers might miss Trinidad if they blink. This small East Texas town of about 800 souls sits at the intersection of state highways 274 and 31—about one and a half hours southeast of Dallas.
It’s a quiet town of weathered 1970s homes with big shade trees where folks can sip iced tea in the summer.
The busiest spot in town is Zippy J’s deli and market at the intersection of the town’s only traffic light. There, the clerk calls customers “honey,” and the loudspeakers outside at the gas pumps blare songs about Jesus and good lovin’ gone bad.
But now this sleepy town finds itself in the spotlight over its water and claims that police and city officials want to silence public criticism.
On April 6, Jennifer Combs, who lives in nearby Kerens, in Navarro County, posted concerns about Trinidad’s murky water on her Facebook page, Southern Belle Watch.
“We are receiving reports of possible water quality issues, including concerns about bacteria and unsafe conditions. We take these reports very seriously and are currently verifying the information,” the post reads.
“If your water is discolored, has sediment, odor, or if you or your family have experienced illness you believe may be related, please reach out.”
‘A Tornado of Craziness’
At the local Dairy Queen across from Trinidad City Hall, Combs sat down with The Epoch Times at the end of June to discuss how that post turned her life into a twilight zone.She said the whole thing started when an elderly Trinidad resident who had already spent $200 on bottled water asked for help getting more.
After publishing her Facebook post asking for information to turn over to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Texas Department of State Health Services, and the Environmental Protection Agency, Combs said Kerens police knocked on her door on May 8.
“I mean, we all know each other, so I was like, ‘OK, well, they want help doing something,’” she said.
But when the officer told her that she had a felony warrant out of neighboring Henderson County, stemming from a case in Trinidad, she was dumbfounded.
The officer said the arrest warrant had something to do with the water post and causing a panic.
Combs, who had never even received so much as a traffic ticket, wrestled with disbelief.
After she was released, journalists came knocking on her door wanting an interview. Reporters also sought out family members and residents.
She estimated that about 200 reporters came to town, and even her friends living as far away as Australia and the UK said they saw her on the news.
“It’s just been like a tornado of craziness,” she said.
‘Political Retaliation’
Then-Trinidad Police Chief Charles Gregory doubled down on his assertion that Combs broke the law by “spreading false information” on Facebook.On May 10, Gregory took to Facebook himself, stating on the Trinidad Police Department’s site: “A thorough investigation was done in regards to the arrest made. It was a very cut and dry case.”
However, charges against Combs were later dropped after a Henderson County grand jury declined to indict her in May.
Combs then filed a civil lawsuit against Gregory, the city, and others for alleged civil rights violations, including violations of free speech, false arrest, and retaliation.
When The Epoch Times visited Trinidad City Hall in June, the clerk said city officials had no comment on the case. The police chief did not respond to a request for comment before he resigned on June 19.
She said the entire incident has upended her life, cost her time and money, and hurt her standing in the community.
Dealing with the fallout of the arrest and lawsuit has been a full-time job, she said.
Combs said the arrest led to her removal from the local veterans group board, which she said especially hurt, since she has been an active member of her community and was a past Chamber of Commerce president.
“Nobody wants to have you on their board if you have a mug shot,” she said.
She hopes her lawsuit will help right the wrongs in her case. But most of all, she wants the residents of Trinidad to have decent water.
“I want them to fix the damn water,” Combs said.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality confirmed to The Epoch Times via email that it had received complaints regarding Trinidad’s water and that investigations into the allegations are ongoing.
—Darlene McCormick Sanchez; Stacy Robinson
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—Stacy Robinson
