Man arrested for Allegedly issuing threats against FEMA workers

The sheriff’s office in Rutherford County, announced on Monday that they’d arrested a man and charged him with allegedly threatening to harm Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) workers in the area.

William Parson, 44, who lived in Bostic, was charged with “going armed to the terror of the piublic,” according to a statement from Rutherford County Sheriff’s office.

The Rutherford County sheriff’s office received a call on Saturday saying that “a white male had an assault rifle and made the comment about possibly harming FEMA employees working after disaster of Hurricane Helene in the Lake Lure and Chimney Rock area,” the Sheriff’s office said.

Parsons, who could not immediately be contacted, paid a $10,000 secured bond on the misdemeanor charge and was released.

Rutherford County is located Southeast of Asheville in North Carolina which was hit hard by Hurricane Helene that killed more than 200 people in six sates, nearly half of the victims in North Carolina alone.

FEMA has said, “It made operational adjustments” in the area following reports of threats against its hurricane responders. FEMA’s response in the area has been the subject of rampant misinformation and conspiracy theories, such as false claims that the federal government was planning on “bulldozing and seizing” Chimney Rock.

Shayne Martin, a spokesperson for the forest service, said in a statement, “On Saturday afternoon, a Forest Service liaison supporting the response to Hurricane Helene received an alert from FEMA that, in accordance with protocol, he relayed to interagency leadership.”

A spokesperson said the North Carolina National Guard has not identified any National Guard members in the state who made such claims or reports.

A FEMA Spokesperson said the agency has made operational changes in response to the threats for the safety of its staff members and the disaster survivors. He said, “FEMA continues to support communities impacted by Helene and help survivors apply for assistance. Disaster recovery Centers wil continue to be open as scheduled, survivors continue to register for assistance, and we continue to help the people of North Carolina with their recovery.”