A North Carolina man was arrested Saturday for threatening to harm Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) workers assisting with Hurricane Helen recovery efforts, the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office said.
The agency said in a Monday press release that shortly before 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, a man entered the county's communications center “with an assault rifle and threatened to harm FEMA employees who were working in the aftermath of Hurricane Helen.” It was revealed that they received a report saying, “He made a comment that he may have added something.'' Located in the Lake Lure and Chimney Rock areas. ”
Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as William Jacobs Parsons, 44, of Bostic, North Carolina, according to a press release. He was arrested about an hour later, armed and terrorizing the public, according to a press release. He was armed with a rifle and a handgun and was charged with committing a robbery.
Parsons posted bond and was released from the county jail later that night.
Following threats against federal employees this weekend, FEMA has suspended assistance and operations at sites around North Carolina until a threat assessment is completed.
washington post reported on Sunday “FEMA has advised all federal responders,” said an email from federal officials notifying other federal agencies. [in] Rutherford County, North Carolina, advised immediate withdrawal and evacuation of the county. ”
The first message said the National Guard had “encountered” the suspect, the paper said. [two] Armed militia trucks said they were on a FEMA hunt. ”
However, the Rutherford Sheriff's Office said these initial reports were incorrect.
“Further investigation determined that Parsons was acting alone and that the militia in the truck did not proceed to Lake Lure,” the press release said.
The alleged threat follows an increase in misinformation related to FEMA's recovery response to Hurricane Helen, which hit many southeastern states and triggered extensive FEMA recovery efforts.
