Texas Democrat says she was threatened with arrest after escort lost her on trail

Key Takeaways:

• Texas Rep. Sheryl Cole (D) alleges she was threatened with arrest by her state-assigned escort.
• The escort was a Texas Department of Public Safety officer.
• The officer reportedly lost sight of Cole on a walking trail before issuing the threat.
• Cole shared details of the encounter in a post on X on Tuesday.
• She emphasized that the officer “was forced” to follow her.

Allegation on Social Media
Texas state Rep. Sheryl Cole (D) took to X on Tuesday to describe an encounter she calls both surprising and alarming. In her post, Cole said a Texas Department of Public Safety officer assigned to escort her “was forced” to shadow her movements—an arrangement that, she alleges, culminated in a threat of arrest.

The Escort Detail
According to Cole’s account, the DPS officer had been instructed to accompany her. While she was on a walking trail, the officer “lost track” of her whereabouts. It was during that brief lapse, Cole writes, that tensions escalated.

A Claimed Threat of Arrest
Cole says that once the officer relocated her, he threatened to arrest her. She did not provide further details about the officer’s rationale, the specific charge mentioned, or whether any paperwork was issued.

Limited Information From Officials
As of the Hill’s publication time, no additional statements from the Texas Department of Public Safety or Cole’s office had been reported. The representative’s social-media post remains the only public description of the episode.

What Happens Next
Cole’s allegation leaves open questions about escort protocols for Texas lawmakers and about the circumstances that led the officer to issue a warning in the first place. For now, her brief social-media statement offers the sole window into an unusual—and, by her telling, unsettling—moment on a Texas walking trail.