Federal Emergency Management Agency officials were forced to suspend aid efforts over the weekend after reports that armed militias were “hunting” aid workers.
Ashe County Sheriff Phil Howell said In a statement Sunday, FEMA said it suspended operations Saturday due to reported threats. The Washington Post obtained an email detailing the reported threat.
“It was determined that Parsons was acting alone and that there were no militia members in the truck.”
“FEMA has advised all federal response authorities in Rutherford County, North Carolina, to immediately remove themselves and evacuate the county. The message states that the National Guard is 'armed and saying they are out hunting FEMA. We encountered two militia trucks.''
However, the officials said They found no evidence of that claim and instead arrested one man. FEMA officials were back to normal work by Sunday, the newspaper said.
On Monday, the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office announced that officers arrested William Parsons, 44, of Bostic, and charged him with “arming and terrorizing the public.” did. Police said they responded to a call of a man who made statements threatening to harm FEMA workers in the area. When they searched, they found Parsons armed with a rifle and a handgun.
A sheriff's statement said: “Initial reports said a truckload of militiamen were involved. However, further investigation revealed that Parsons was acting alone and that the truckload of militiamen were lured. It turns out it wasn't heading towards the lake.”
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said in a media briefing that the agency monitors social media for rumors and threats against employees.
“We want to provide the safest environment for our employees and ensure that they understand that their safety comes first, so we are updating our social media, channels and other mediums where this information can be found. “We're continually monitoring them. That's the most important thing for us when they join these communities,” she said.
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