Sliding scale of color for bond amounts. 
IMSLI on
**North Carolina authorities arrest armed man after threats against FEMA workers**
*Rutherford County sheriff’s office confirms it made the arrest Saturday after learning of threat to Federal Emergency Management Agency employees working on hurricane relief*
LAKE LURE, N.C. — Federal emergency response personnel directed employees operating Saturday in hard-hit Rutherford County, N.C., to stop working and move to a different area because of concerns over “armed militia” threatening government workers in the region, according to an email sent to federal agencies helping with hurricane response in the state.
On Monday, the Rutherford County sheriff’s office released a statement confirming that it had arrested an armed suspect for making threats against Federal Emergency Management Agency employees but had concluded that the suspect had acted alone and that there were not “truck loads of militia” targeting relief workers.
Around 1 p.m. Saturday, an official with the U.S. Forest Service, which is supporting recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene along with FEMA, sent an urgent message to numerous federal agencies warning that “FEMA has advised all federal responders Rutherford County, N.C., to stand down and evacuate the county immediately. The message stated that National Guard troops ‘had come across … trucks of armed militia saying they were out hunting FEMA.’”
“The IMTs [incident management teams] have been notified and are coordinating the evacuation of all assigned personnel in that county,” the email added.
The Rutherford County sheriff’s office confirmed in a statement that the county’s communications center had received a call Saturday shortly before 1 p.m. warning that “a white male had an assault rifle and made the comment about possibly harming FEMA employees working after the disaster of Hurricane Helene in the Lake Lure and Chimney Rock area.”
After learning of the call, deputies in the sheriff’s office alerted other law enforcement agencies and others helping with relief efforts and went to where the threat was made, the statement said, and identified the color and type of vehicle that the suspect was driving. After getting additional information the sheriff’s office was able to identify the suspect, William Jacob Parsons, 44, of Bostic, N.C.
The sheriff’s office arrested Parsons later Saturday and charged him with “Going Armed to the Terror of the Public,” according to the statement. He was armed with a handgun and a rifle, it added.
While the initial report said there was “a truckload of militia that was involved,” the statement said, authorities said that they concluded “it was determined that Parsons acted alone and there was no truck loads of militia going to Lake Lure.”
One Forest Service official coordinating the Helene recovery said responders moved to a “safe area” and that at least some work in the area — which included clearing trees off dozens of damaged and blocked roads to help search-and-rescue crews, as well as groups delivering supplies — was paused.
By Sunday afternoon, personnel were back in place, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The setback is one of the latest examples of growing concerns about safety and security in western North Carolina, where many towns were almost wiped off the map after the historic hurricane made landfall two weeks ago. In the weeks since, misinformation and rumors have made the recovery more difficult, targeting multiple federal agencies operating as part of the recovery. Federal officials such as the secretary for the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA’s director of public affairs have been the target of antisemitic attacks.
Threats made
The threats were made at a gas station on Route 9 in neighboring Polk County, prompting an attendant there to share concerns with active-duty U.S. soldiers who visited, said Capt. Jamie Keever, a spokesman with the Rutherford County sheriff’s office. The Army reported the incident to law enforcement authorities, who arrested the man Saturday night.
Keever said while there have been unconfirmed reports of “truckloads of militia men” in the area, the details in this case do not bear that out. “This was a lone individual,” Keever said. “We’re trying to get the word out about that.”
A U.S. Army spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Center of tension
Chimney Rock, in Rutherford County, has become one of the centers of tension and conflict after a rumor spread on social media that government officials planned to seize the devastated village and bulldoze bodies under the rubble. Authorities and news outlets debunked the assertion, but people still took to social media imploring militias to go after FEMA.
A person familiar with FEMA operations said the agency was working out of an abundance of caution and its teams were operating at fixed locations and secure areas instead of the usual practice of going door to door.
“FEMA continues to support communities impacted by Helene and help survivors apply for assistance,” the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive discussions. “For the safety of our dedicated staff and the disaster survivors we are helping, FEMA has made some operational adjustments.”
The heightening tension has resulted in residents harassing federal employees, said Riva Duncan, a former Forest Service official who lives in Asheville.
Duncan, who is also a representative with the Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, said people have been yelling, “We don’t want your help here,” at federal employees delivering aid or showing up to do repairs.
One Forest Service employee, she said, was pulling into a gas station when someone yelled at him to leave, saying, “We don’t want the government here.”
“It’s terrible because a lot of these folks who need assistance are refusing it because they believe the stuff people are saying about FEMA and the government,” Duncan said. “And it’s sad because they are probably the ones who need the help the most.”
truthishardtohear on
MAGA extremist? That’s redundant. They are also the same picture besides being synonyms and meaning the same thing.
gfh110 on
They always look exactly how you’d expect.
Barack_Odrama_007 on
It’s who you suspect…..
Unusual_Reindeer450 on
I know I’m probably just amped up… and it not actually a thing we should do… but at what point do we start punishing traitors they way we should “punish” traitors as stated by our law…these people are getting more and more dangerous … we need to use the voting data to watch each and every MAGA supporter and ensure they are not continuing to radicalize
Electr0freak on
“I Support AMERICA.”
No you don’t. You’re threatening the people supporting America. That’s the *opposite* of patriotism.
We need to take the American flag back from these fuckers.
PDXracer on
Exactly the demographic I expected to see
Vernerator on
He’s not a very good drag queen.
JoeyDawsonJenPacey on
Funny how everyone who has tried to kill Trump has been a Republican 🤔
OkRush9563 on
Say it with me, not a trans person, not a migrant, not a dem.
scottyjrules on
Deplorable was far, far too kind a word to describe the cult
aransoul on
Seriously what did these freaks do before trump made them feel safe in their hate.
saltylures on
Why isn’t he charged with domestic terrorism? Merrick Garland is such a pussy.
oskirkland on
Why aren’t the people spreading the BS about FEMA and other aid workers being held accountable for feeding this dangerous idiocy?
tlimbert65 on
Threaten people with a deadly weapon and get released on bond. I mean, what’s the danger, right?
InstructionFair5221 on
Minimum 15 yrs in prison
RandyWatson8 on
“I support the American flag” but votes for guy who did this:
Another blight on the good name of NC. All because of MAGA, headed by Trump lies
pit-of-despair on
This inbred moron terrorist hillbilly needs to go to jail.
fackoffuser on
“He acted alone” – bullshit. Every report I’ve ready so far has said “two trucks of armed militia”. So this dude is the scape goat. I’d ask why no one else seems to be a suspect but I’m just gonna guess, “some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses”.
Tobi-One-Boy on
He didn’t age well since Covid. Sleep more maybe!!
lost_in_connecticut on
“You’ve been charged with being armed to terror of the public.”
“What’s my bond?”
“You’re free to go. Oh and we have one free voucher for you to breakfast at the Cracker Barrel. Not redeemable on Sundays.”
ratpH1nk on
IANAL and IAMAJ but how does someone like that get bond/bail??
BillTowne on
Speaker Mike Johnson refuses to discuss MAGA violence and Trumps open calls for fascism, because the real issue is non-existent voter fraud for which he has no evidence but is certain is happening.
ludixst on
Common suburban Republican
Bibblegead1412 on
Faces of Meth
Feisty-Donkey on
Trump could stop this pretty easily if he wanted to. He won’t because rage fuels his base and he cares about that more than anything else.
30 Comments
Sliding scale of color for bond amounts. 
**North Carolina authorities arrest armed man after threats against FEMA workers**
*Rutherford County sheriff’s office confirms it made the arrest Saturday after learning of threat to Federal Emergency Management Agency employees working on hurricane relief*
https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/10/13/federal-officials-nc-temporarily-relocated-amid-report-armed-militia-email-shows/
LAKE LURE, N.C. — Federal emergency response personnel directed employees operating Saturday in hard-hit Rutherford County, N.C., to stop working and move to a different area because of concerns over “armed militia” threatening government workers in the region, according to an email sent to federal agencies helping with hurricane response in the state.
On Monday, the Rutherford County sheriff’s office released a statement confirming that it had arrested an armed suspect for making threats against Federal Emergency Management Agency employees but had concluded that the suspect had acted alone and that there were not “truck loads of militia” targeting relief workers.
Around 1 p.m. Saturday, an official with the U.S. Forest Service, which is supporting recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene along with FEMA, sent an urgent message to numerous federal agencies warning that “FEMA has advised all federal responders Rutherford County, N.C., to stand down and evacuate the county immediately. The message stated that National Guard troops ‘had come across … trucks of armed militia saying they were out hunting FEMA.’”
“The IMTs [incident management teams] have been notified and are coordinating the evacuation of all assigned personnel in that county,” the email added.
The Rutherford County sheriff’s office confirmed in a statement that the county’s communications center had received a call Saturday shortly before 1 p.m. warning that “a white male had an assault rifle and made the comment about possibly harming FEMA employees working after the disaster of Hurricane Helene in the Lake Lure and Chimney Rock area.”
After learning of the call, deputies in the sheriff’s office alerted other law enforcement agencies and others helping with relief efforts and went to where the threat was made, the statement said, and identified the color and type of vehicle that the suspect was driving. After getting additional information the sheriff’s office was able to identify the suspect, William Jacob Parsons, 44, of Bostic, N.C.
The sheriff’s office arrested Parsons later Saturday and charged him with “Going Armed to the Terror of the Public,” according to the statement. He was armed with a handgun and a rifle, it added.
While the initial report said there was “a truckload of militia that was involved,” the statement said, authorities said that they concluded “it was determined that Parsons acted alone and there was no truck loads of militia going to Lake Lure.”
One Forest Service official coordinating the Helene recovery said responders moved to a “safe area” and that at least some work in the area — which included clearing trees off dozens of damaged and blocked roads to help search-and-rescue crews, as well as groups delivering supplies — was paused.
By Sunday afternoon, personnel were back in place, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The setback is one of the latest examples of growing concerns about safety and security in western North Carolina, where many towns were almost wiped off the map after the historic hurricane made landfall two weeks ago. In the weeks since, misinformation and rumors have made the recovery more difficult, targeting multiple federal agencies operating as part of the recovery. Federal officials such as the secretary for the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA’s director of public affairs have been the target of antisemitic attacks.
Threats made
The threats were made at a gas station on Route 9 in neighboring Polk County, prompting an attendant there to share concerns with active-duty U.S. soldiers who visited, said Capt. Jamie Keever, a spokesman with the Rutherford County sheriff’s office. The Army reported the incident to law enforcement authorities, who arrested the man Saturday night.
Keever said while there have been unconfirmed reports of “truckloads of militia men” in the area, the details in this case do not bear that out. “This was a lone individual,” Keever said. “We’re trying to get the word out about that.”
A U.S. Army spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Center of tension
Chimney Rock, in Rutherford County, has become one of the centers of tension and conflict after a rumor spread on social media that government officials planned to seize the devastated village and bulldoze bodies under the rubble. Authorities and news outlets debunked the assertion, but people still took to social media imploring militias to go after FEMA.
A person familiar with FEMA operations said the agency was working out of an abundance of caution and its teams were operating at fixed locations and secure areas instead of the usual practice of going door to door.
“FEMA continues to support communities impacted by Helene and help survivors apply for assistance,” the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive discussions. “For the safety of our dedicated staff and the disaster survivors we are helping, FEMA has made some operational adjustments.”
The heightening tension has resulted in residents harassing federal employees, said Riva Duncan, a former Forest Service official who lives in Asheville.
Duncan, who is also a representative with the Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, said people have been yelling, “We don’t want your help here,” at federal employees delivering aid or showing up to do repairs.
One Forest Service employee, she said, was pulling into a gas station when someone yelled at him to leave, saying, “We don’t want the government here.”
“It’s terrible because a lot of these folks who need assistance are refusing it because they believe the stuff people are saying about FEMA and the government,” Duncan said. “And it’s sad because they are probably the ones who need the help the most.”
MAGA extremist? That’s redundant. They are also the same picture besides being synonyms and meaning the same thing.
They always look exactly how you’d expect.
It’s who you suspect…..
I know I’m probably just amped up… and it not actually a thing we should do… but at what point do we start punishing traitors they way we should “punish” traitors as stated by our law…these people are getting more and more dangerous … we need to use the voting data to watch each and every MAGA supporter and ensure they are not continuing to radicalize
“I Support AMERICA.”
No you don’t. You’re threatening the people supporting America. That’s the *opposite* of patriotism.
We need to take the American flag back from these fuckers.
Exactly the demographic I expected to see
He’s not a very good drag queen.
Funny how everyone who has tried to kill Trump has been a Republican 🤔
Say it with me, not a trans person, not a migrant, not a dem.
Deplorable was far, far too kind a word to describe the cult
Seriously what did these freaks do before trump made them feel safe in their hate.
Why isn’t he charged with domestic terrorism? Merrick Garland is such a pussy.
Why aren’t the people spreading the BS about FEMA and other aid workers being held accountable for feeding this dangerous idiocy?
Threaten people with a deadly weapon and get released on bond. I mean, what’s the danger, right?
Minimum 15 yrs in prison
“I support the American flag” but votes for guy who did this:
https://youtu.be/Joth8HM1JZ0?si=VT4Hc6wW3w02SsjB
Another blight on the good name of NC. All because of MAGA, headed by Trump lies
This inbred moron terrorist hillbilly needs to go to jail.
“He acted alone” – bullshit. Every report I’ve ready so far has said “two trucks of armed militia”. So this dude is the scape goat. I’d ask why no one else seems to be a suspect but I’m just gonna guess, “some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses”.
He didn’t age well since Covid. Sleep more maybe!!
“You’ve been charged with being armed to terror of the public.”
“What’s my bond?”
“You’re free to go. Oh and we have one free voucher for you to breakfast at the Cracker Barrel. Not redeemable on Sundays.”
IANAL and IAMAJ but how does someone like that get bond/bail??
Speaker Mike Johnson refuses to discuss MAGA violence and Trumps open calls for fascism, because the real issue is non-existent voter fraud for which he has no evidence but is certain is happening.
Common suburban Republican
Faces of Meth
Trump could stop this pretty easily if he wanted to. He won’t because rage fuels his base and he cares about that more than anything else.
Where are these people getting these ideas. Hmmm
https://youtube.com/shorts/sAKGwCSonCI?si=liTfGWAVW5_b7zSh
Seriously wth does it mean to “support the American flag?”