Texas mom jailed over dirty water Facebook post
Jennifer Combs says she was arrested on a felony charge after using Facebook to gather residents’ reports about water concerns in Trinidad, Texas. A grand jury later declined to indict her. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement will revoke the Trinidad Police Department’s authority to appoint or continue employing licensed officers effective Friday, after months of controversy involving the small East Texas department.
In a Sept. 9 letter to Mayor Dennis Haws, TCOLE said the department had “failed to meet minimum standards” and could not show that it provided a public benefit to the community.
The regulatory agency also pointed to problems with essential equipment and procedures. Those deficiencies included a lack of bullet-resistant vests and secure evidence storage, along with 18 missing policies addressing issues such as use of force, vehicle pursuits, professional conduct, active-shooter incidents and misconduct investigations.
During a City Council meeting Tuesday night, Interim Police Chief Cameron Beckham blamed the department’s previous leadership for the problems. He also challenged parts of TCOLE’s assessment, saying many of the cited deficiencies had already been corrected.
Police escort a Texas mother from her home after a Facebook post about Trinidad’s discolored water led to a felony arrest. (Jennifer Combs)
“Piss-poor management is what I’m just going to say,” Beckham told council members.
The Trinidad Police Department has been under scrutiny since May, when resident Jennifer Combs was arrested on a felony charge of making a false alarm or report after posting about concerns over the city’s water supply.
In a May 20 Facebook post, Combs said she had been gathering residents’ photos, videos and accounts describing water problems. She said her goal was to document the complaints and encourage state investigators to test water at homes throughout the community. Combs spent 23 hours in jail before a Henderson County grand jury declined to indict her.
Jennifer Combs says she was arrested on a felony charge after using Facebook to collect reports about water concerns in Trinidad, Texas. A grand jury later declined to indict her. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Citizen journalist Winston Noles was later arrested and charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct while protesting outside City Hall. Prosecutors subsequently dismissed the charge.
Former Police Chief Charles Gregory resigned in June. Combs has since filed a federal lawsuit against the city and Gregory, alleging political retaliation. Earlier reporting by News Outlet also found that former Trinidad Municipal Judge Shellena Bivens was dismissed after dismissing Noles’ charge.
Henderson County District Judge R. Scott McKee later questioned the “accuracy, completeness, and reliability” of information Trinidad officers presented while seeking a search warrant connected to Combs’ arrest.
The Texas Rangers confirmed in July that they had opened an investigation involving Trinidad, though officials did not reveal the scope of the inquiry.
Haws told News Outlet that city leaders plan to meet with their attorney Friday morning to determine how to proceed. He said the discussion could cover several possibilities and would not necessarily focus only on keeping the police department open.
Police cruisers with the Trinidad Police Department. (Facebook/Trinidad Police Department)
At Tuesday’s meeting, Haws said the early meeting time would leave the city time to pursue measures such as an injunction or appeal if advised by counsel.
“We are going to work through this process according to the law and at the direction of our attorney as we go through it,” Haws said.
TCOLE’s letter also states that revocation does not relieve Trinidad of continuing obligations involving personnel records, 2026 traffic-stop data and unresolved misconduct investigations.
News Outlet reached out to TCOLE for further comment.
