North Carolina man William Jacob Parsons was arrested for allegedly threatening FEMA operations

CNN
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A North Carolina man was arrested over the weekend for allegedly threatening harm to FEMA workers responding to Hurricane Helene, according to the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office.

William Jacob Parsons, 44, was arrested and charged with “arming to terrorize the public,” a misdemeanor, Capt. Jamie Keever said in a news release issued Monday.

“Parsons was armed with a pistol and a rifle,” Keever said.

The sheriff’s office began investigating Saturday after receiving a call that a man “made the comment that he may have caused harm to FEMA workers who were working in the Lake Lure and Chimney area following the Hurricane Helene disaster.” Rock worked”.

Parsons was found later that day According to the sheriff’s office, investigators received information about the color and license plate of his vehicle.

Parsons was arrested in his car outside a grocery store that is being used as a storm relief site, Keever said.

Parsons is now free on a $10,000 secured bond, the sheriff’s office said.

It was not immediately clear whether Parsons had an attorney. CNN was unable to reach Parsons Monday at any of the phone numbers listed in his name.

Aid to several communities affected by Hurricane Helene was temporarily suspended in parts of North Carolina over the weekend due to reports of threats against Federal Emergency Management Agency responders amid false information about the response to recent storms.

Door-to-door operations resumed after about a day, a FEMA spokesman said Monday. According to the spokesperson, FEMA wanted to ensure it was protecting personnel on site while the agency worked with local law enforcement officials to assess the threats and their severity.

Parsons’ alleged threat was the main threat FEMA was aware of when officials decided to withdraw its door-to-door workers, the FEMA spokesman said, adding that the agency had been the target of threats for several days and harassment.

Before neighborhood visits resumed, some FEMA teams worked in secure disaster response centers in counties where federal workers were receiving threats, FEMA said.

On Saturday, FEMA workers were forced to stop work in Rutherford County because National Guard troops reportedly saw “armed militias” threatening workers, CNN affiliate WBTV confirmed after reviewing messages sent to employees of a FEMA contractor. The threats were first reported by The Washington Post.

In announcing Parsons’ arrest, Keever said, “It was determined that Parsons acted alone and there were no truckloads of militia members heading to Lake Lure.”

Rutherford County is southeast of the hard-hit Asheville area, and part of the region was hit by deadly flooding and landslides as Helene cut a path of destruction through the Southeast after making landfall in Florida last month. In North Carolina, more than 100 people died and thousands of others suffered catastrophic damage.

“We are aware of significant misinformation online and reports of threats to frontline responders and responder safety must be taken seriously,” said Jordan Monaghan, deputy communications director for North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. “The Governor has directed the Department of Public Safety to work with local law enforcement to identify the specific threats and rumors and coordinate with FEMA and other partners to ensure safety as these recovery efforts continue.”

Some FEMA operations were also paused Sunday in Ashe County, near the borders of Tennessee and Virginia, out of an abundance of caution, Sheriff B. Phil Howell said on Facebook. That included in-person requests for assistance at at least two locations “due to threats in some counties,” according to the county’s emergency management office. Those locations reopened Monday, the sheriff and emergency management office said.

Howell urged residents to “stay calm and composed as we recover, help people and please don’t stir the pot.”

The delays in FEMA’s in-person work will only prevent aid from reaching those who need it, particularly in the complex terrain of western North Carolina, former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate told CNN.

Disaster claimants can start the process online and receive partial assistance. However, FEMA officials must inspect the damage in person to complete the application and get the money into the hands of disaster survivors more quickly.

“Ultimately they have to put inspectors there and that could slow things down for people,” Fugate said. “To go to these areas to verify that people live there, that this is their home, and to confirm the damage caused by the disaster.”

FEMA continues to assess potential threats to its employees in affected areas and is coordinating with local officials on the safety of its employees and will make future adjustments as necessary, the spokesman said.

More than 1,200 FEMA employees were providing assistance in North Carolina on Saturday, according to an update from the agency. More than 250 Urban Search and Rescue personnel remained on scene and rescued or assisted more than 3,200 survivors, the update said.

Misinformation circulating about the federal response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton has hampered response efforts to the storms, CNN previously reported. President Joe Biden last week requested information about the federal government’s digital response, including how officials are correcting misinformation, an administration official said.

“The contours of this misinformation are unlike anything we have seen before,” a senior Biden administration official told CNN.

Fugate said individual FEMA employees have received threats in the past, but on a much smaller scale.

“It rarely happens in the field,” Fugate said. “This is unprecedented. I know we had individuals, but not an area or group that threatened FEMA.”

Senior U.S. officials have directed public affairs teams at federal agencies to amplify social media posts from government accounts with photos illustrating federal workers clearing debris and distributing aid, a U.S. official familiar with the operation said.

Earlier this month, Kerry Giles, public information officer for Rutherford County, told CNN debunking the rumors that “resources that could have been used more effectively in the recovery effort were being used.” Rutherford and surrounding counties have released photos and information about relief efforts to combat the misinformation.

CNN’s Arlette Saenz and Jalen Beckford contributed to this report.

This story has been updated with additional information.