A Texas mother is suing the cops who arrested her for warning on social media how her city’s soiled ingesting water has “hospitalized” residents.
Jennifer Combs, of Trinidad, was tossed in jail earlier this month as alleged political retaliation for posting concerning the “severe” public well being concern on Fb — a doable freedom of speech violation, in keeping with FOX 4.
“It was most likely one of the humiliating issues I’ve ever gone via in my whole life. It was very, very unhealthy,” she informed the outlet.
Combs referred to as her Could 8 arrest for felony false alarm or report is “an excessive stretch” — contemplating even the town’s mayor, Dennis Haws, has admitted that residents are affected by disgusting brown-and-yellow faucet water “points.”
“There’s individuals which might be saying that their home equipment are getting ruined, they will’t cook dinner with the water, they will’t bathe with it, they will’t do laundry,” Combs mentioned.
“A variety of them really feel hushed, and like they don’t have a voice and nobody listens to them and nobody takes them significantly.”
Combs posted a Fb message on her citizen watchdog group web page, Southern Belle Watch, on April 6 — imploring those that have been sickened by the town’s faucet water to report it.
“Now we have acquired reviews that some residents have been hospitalized as a result of micro organism within the water. It is a severe public well being concern that deserves rapid consideration,” she wrote.
“In case your water appears discolored, incorporates sediment, has a robust odor, or you could have skilled associated well being points, please ship us a message. We’re gathering info and reporting findings to the state.”
Following the submit, Combs was arrested and Trinidad Police Chief Charles Gregory later doubled down on the transfer.
Gregory referred to as the case “lower and dry,” and mentioned her claims about hospitalizations “are merely false and have solely triggered pointless worry and confusion in our group,” in keeping with a Could 10 Fb submit.
Trinidad police claimed Combs wrote “false info that creates worry, panic, or pointless emergency response inside a group.”
Town, nonetheless, posted its personal discover to residents urging them to boil their water to “keep away from dangerous micro organism” on April 21 — weeks after Combs’ submit.
Trinidad has suffered via a long-running water infrastructure downside with pipes relationship again to the Nineteen Fifties, in keeping with the mayor.
“Now we have to get to a place the place we are able to repair that infrastructure, and it’s very costly as I’m positive you may think about,” Haws mentioned Tuesday.
“Town’s water state of affairs is a wrestle, with out query.”
The Texas Fee on Environmental High quality confirmed it acquired a grievance relating to the water high quality in Trinidad, and that an investigation is ongoing, FOX 4 reported.
Dale Carpenter, a constitutional legislation professor at Southern Methodist College, was skeptical that Combs had dedicated a criminal offense — and mentioned her First Modification rights might have been violated.
“She’s making an announcement relating to a matter of nice public curiosity and so individuals typically make false statements on issues of nice public curiosity, and so they’re allowed to take action,” he informed the station.
“I actually haven’t seen something like this earlier than.”
Combs has since filed a federal lawsuit towards the town, which incorporates Gregory, and one other member of the Trinidad Police Division.
CJ Grisham, a lawyer for Combs, referred to as her arrest an “abuse of energy.”
“The Metropolis of Trinidad has change into a cautionary story of what occurs when unchecked ego masquerades as governance,” Grisham mentioned.
Gregory didn’t instantly return The Put up’s request for remark.
