Woman who falsely accused DPS trooper of rape won't face additional charges
The woman who made false rape allegations against a Texas DPS trooper will not face any additional charges.
The Ellis County District Attorney made the announcement Friday that no criminal charges will be filed against Sherita- Dixon Cole for “blatantly false and malicious allegations” since a formal complaint to an authorized officer was never made.
Dixon-Cole was pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving in Ellis County last Sunday. She claimed the trooper raped her during her arrest. However, body cam video of the arrest released on Wednesday disputed her claim.
While Dixon-Cole was in jail, officials say she made several phone calls in which she made detailed false allegations of criminal conduct against the trooper who arrested her. Officials say it is from those phone calls that the false claims against the trooper were made public.
During her stay in jail, investigators say Dixon-Cole made repeated outcries to a detention officer, who urged her to file a complaint with DPS. After she persisted with her complaint to jailers, she was taken to a hospital by Ellis County Sheriff's Office personnel. However, she refused to be examined or treated.
Dixon-Cole's lawyer Lee Merritt and activist Shaun King posted the officer's name and her false account of what happened. Merritt later apologized for the false claims while King admitted that Dixon-Cole lied.
The trooper who was falsely accused and another unrelated Waco trooper with the same last name have been targeted by people believing Cole's claims. One of the trooper's attorney says he's endured "substantial harassment and threats" and even had to make a "request for protection."
Ellis County District Attorney Patrick Wilson says he shares the outrage felt by the public for the false and malicious allegations made by Dixon-Cole. He considered two possible charges for her lies, but he says the facts in the case don't meet the guidelines for a criminal act.
The catch is only sworn peace officers can take a formal complaint. Dixon-Cole made her complaints to the jailers, who are not sworn peace officers. According to the DA’s office, it means she cannot be charged with filing a false report.
Dixon-Cole also did not make a false claim of being in imminent danger, which means she cannot be charged with what's referred to as “creating a false alarm.”
The Ellis County District Attorney Patrick Wilson released the following statement:
“The real harm, in this case, was caused when outside parties with no concern for the truth employed social media to ignite flames of malice and discontent. That bell, once rung, cannot be un-rung. Sadly, the situation that unfolded here in Ellis County over the past five days is being repeated in communities all across our country every day. In our fast-paced, social media-driven world, truth and justice too often take a back seat to misguided keyboard anger. As we know, there are tragic consequences for that behavior. Baseless digital rage can create real world, innocent victims. As things stand in our world today, there is no reason to think the problem will soon be solved.”
The Ellis County District Attorney’s Office says any other possible legal remedies are outside the scope of their office.