North Carolina man accused of threatening FEMA workers with assault rifle amid Hurricane Helene clean-up

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A North Carolina man is being accused of threatening FEMA workers with an assault rifle in western North Carolina who are helping with recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene. 

Just before 1 pm on Saturday, deputies with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office received reports about a man with an assault rifle making comments about potentially harming FEMA workers in the area of Lake Lure and Chimney Rock.

Rutherford County deputies alerted Lake Lure officers and other local agencies of the threat once they were made aware of it.

Once on the scene in Polk County where the threat was made, investigators were able to get a description of the suspects vehicle and share the information on the suspect with other agencies.

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William Jacob Parsons, 44, of Bostic, is being charged after being accused of threatening FEMA workers in western North Carolina, according to the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office. (Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, N.C.)

An hour after the report, authorities were able to track down the suspect, who was identified as William Jacob Parsons, 44, of Bostic. 

Parsons was taken into custody and charged with going armed to the terror of the public, officials said. 

Parsons was transported to the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Detention Center where he was given a $10,000 secured bond. Officials said he has since made a bond and has been released from custody.

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The town of Chimney Rock, N.C., is seen after flash flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Deputies said they also recovered a handgun and rifle that Parson’s was armed with during his arrest. 

The initial report stated that there was a truck load of militia that was involved, according to authorities. However, after further investigation, it was determined that Parson acted alone and there was no truck load of militia going to attack FEMA workers in Lake Lure.

Over the weekend, FEMA announced that it was making “operational adjustments” due to safety concerns.

“Out of abundance of caution, FEMA made operational changes based on threat information. The changes did not impact ongoing search and rescue and life-safety operations, and Disaster Recovery Centers remained open. The threat was more limited than initially reported and mitigated by law enforcement,” FEMA said in a statement sent to Fox News Digital. 

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Linemen have been working 16- and 17-hour days to get power back to those in mountainous areas impacted by Hurricane Helene. (Adam Eugene Willis for Fox News Digital)

“FEMA officials remain in communities and survivors are encouraged to continue to register for assistance. Disaster Survivor Assistance teams will resume normal operations in the field and housing inspectors will resume scheduling inspections to ensure survivors get the assistance they need and deserve,” the statement continued. 

On Monday, FEMA also suspended its community outreach operations in Orangeburg County due to a safety incident involving a community member, WGHP first reported.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s office also issued a statement to FEMA about concern over safety for the organization’s workers.

“State, federal and local response workers, including FEMA, are working around the clock to bring assistance to western North Carolina,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “We know that significant misinformation online contributes to threats against response workers on the ground, and the safety of responders must be a priority. At my direction, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety is helping partners like FEMA to coordinate with law enforcement to ensure their safety and security as they continue their important work.”

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FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell echoed Cooper and added that on top of FEMA worker safety, helping communities impacted by both hurricanes was their top priority. 

“Keeping FEMA staff safe while they are helping people in disaster-impacted communities is always my top priority. I wanted to make sure we protected our staff on the ground while we worked diligently with local law enforcement to understand the full situation,” Criswell said. “Thanks to our close partnership with Governor Roy Cooper and his team, as well as local law enforcement, FEMA teams will soon be back doing what they do best – meeting people where they are and going door to door to register survivors for assistance. FEMA and the entire federal family will be in North Carolina for as long as it takes to help these communities recover. Together, we will continue to reach as many North Carolinians as possible and get them the help they need, while ensuring the safety of our FEMA employees and state partners.”