A North Texas woman is suing the city of Trinidad, a town of less than 1,000 southeast of Dallas, after police arrested her for a Facebook post warning of potential health problems arising from the town\u2019s water.<\/p>\n
In April, Jennifer Combs\u00a0took to her Facebook page, Southern Belle Watch<\/a>, a self-described \u201cindependent investigative media platform,\u201d with information about\u00a0the water in Trinidad. She alleged that residents had been \u201chospitalized due to bacteria in the water\u201d and encouraged residents to let her know if their water was \u201cdiscolored,\u201d had a \u201cstrong odor\u201d or if they \u201cexperienced related health issues.\u201d<\/p>\n Combs also posted several photos of brown-colored liquid.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Trinidad Police Department quickly pushed back on Combs’ allegations in their own post online.<\/a> The department said Combs’ posting had false information and warned that raising false alarm that involves public services, like a municipal water system, constitutes a felony. The department claimed the discoloration of the water was caused by sediment, rust and minerals in old water lines.<\/p>\n About a month later,\u00a0Trinidad police arrested Combs on a felony charge of false alarm or report.\u00a0<\/p>\n Combs filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday in the Eastern District of Texas to have the criminal charges dismissed entirely. In a 43-page complaint, Combs’ lawyers wrote that the arrest was \u201cpolitical retaliation\u201d designed to stop people from speaking out about the city\u2019s water problems.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMrs. Combs did not fabricate an emergency. She did not summon emergency responders. She did not trigger evacuations,\u201d Combs’ lawyers wrote. \u201cShe reported\u00a0\u2014 accurately and in good faith\u00a0\u2014 what community members had told her about the safety of their water, performing the most basic and constitutionally valued function of a journalist.\u201d<\/p>\n Combs’ lawsuit names Gregory, another police officer, a city council member and the city of Trinidad as a whole as defendants. None\u00a0had filed a response as of May 23.<\/p>\n On Thursday, a grand jury declined to indict Combs, but prosecutors may continue to pursue charges against her.<\/p>\n The city issued a boil water advisory roughly two weeks after Combs’ April post\u00a0\u2014 a notice her lawyers claim corroborates Combs’ post about the water being filthy. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is investigating a complaint about water quality in Trindidad, FOX 4 reported.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Gregory has said the boil water advisory was put in place as a precautionary measure because of \u201clow chlorine residual levels\u201d in parts of the water system.<\/p>\n