A woman in Trinidad, Texas, was arrested after she posted on Facebook raising concerns about the safety of the city's discolored drinking water, according to Fox 4.
Jennifer Combs posted the message on April 6 to her citizen-watchdog group page, Southern Belle Watch, urging residents who had been sickened by the city's tap water to come forward.
"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," she wrote. "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."
In what could be seen as a brazen move against free speech, Jennifer Combs was arrested on May 8.
Trinidad Police Chief Charles Gregory scrambled to defend the arrest, claiming the case was "cut and dry" and saying her claims about hospitalizations "are simply false and have only caused unnecessary fear and confusion in our community."
Trinidad law enforcement claimed Combs had written "false information that creates fear, panic, or unnecessary emergency response within a community."
However, on April 21, a few weeks after Combs' post, the city itself issued a notice urging residents to boil their water to "avoid harmful bacteria," according to the New York Post.
"It was probably one of the most humiliating things I've ever gone through in my entire life. It was very, very bad," Combs told Fox 4 of the arrest.
Combs has filed a federal lawsuit against the city, including Chief Gregory and another member of the local police force.
CJ Grisham, a lawyer who is representing Combs in her case against the cops, branded the arrest an "abuse of power," the Post reported.
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