Former Groves City Councilman faces charges after police allege violent physical confrontation with authorities
Published on Saturday, June 15, 2024 at 12:06 a.m.
- Cross Cobain
A 25-year-old Beaumont man, who previously served as a Groves City Councilman, was charged this week with assaulting a police officer and attempting to escape custody.
The allegations stem from an incident on May 29 when Beaumont Police Department officers were called to a residence in the 5700 block of Northwest Parkway.
According to the affidavit, Cross Coburn reportedly intervened when officers were attempting to place wrist restraints on another individual.
Police said the man then shoved the officer to the ground, slammed the officer’s head into a wall and climbed on top of the officer.
According to documents, officers attempted to arrest Cobain and ordered him to the ground, after which officers deployed a conducted energy weapon, but Cobain continued to cause a disturbance.
Authorities said the two men got up and Cobain put the officer in a chokehold before fleeing the scene and returning to his apartment, where he locked the door.
Another officer arrived and after a lengthy wait, Coburn emerged from the apartment and was assigned to a patrol unit.
Cobain is charged with assault on a police officer and fleeing during arrest.
According to information from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Cobain was arrested on bonds totaling $37,000 and released on bail the same day.
Cobain has made national news and was the subject of a 2018 Texas Monthly article on Globes titled “Catfishing and Conspiracies.”
Cobain’s revealing photos were anonymously sent to the Groves City Hall Port Arthur NewsThe cover letter, which included contact information for Cobain, who was 19 at the time, read, “Is it appropriate for a City Council member to be putting himself or herself up online and on a ‘dating’ app? I felt the need to bring this situation to the attention of City Council.”
The openly gay city councilman believes he was “catfished,” or lured, by someone with a false identity and that the revealing photos were not published on the internet but rather privately shared through a dating app.
The issue led to Coburn being removed from his position on the city council.
