US: William Jacob Parsons, 44, charged with “carrying a weapon to intimidate people”

US: Authorities stated that a man from North Carolina who had allegedly threatened to hurt Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel providing help for Hurricane Helene had been taken into custody on Saturday.

According to the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, William Jacob Parsons, 44, was charged with “going armed to the terror of the public,” as reported on Monday. He was freed on bond and says he didn’t mean to threaten relief workers.

Just before 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, the sheriff’s office got a report about a guy brandishing an assault weapon who had made remarks “about possibly harming” FEMA relief workers in the heavily affected communities of Lake Lure and Chimney Rock.

According to the sheriff’s office, a deputy who responded to the threat site managed to get a description of the suspect’s car and license plate.

He was subsequently recognized by the authorities as 44-year-old Parsons from Bostic, a tiny town located around 60 miles west of Charlotte.

Parsons is thought to be the owner of a Facebook page with many postings about COVID-19 and conspiracy theories regarding vaccinations and election procedures. The BBC, a British news station, stated that some tweets also include the emblem of the “Three Percenters,” a paramilitary organization that opposes the government.

In an email to the BBC, Parsons denied intimidating federal responders. He said that he was “supporting the victims and helping with loading and unloading of water, food, clothing and other necessities for the victims of the horrendous storm.”

Carrying a revolver and a rifle, Parsons was taken into custody and taken to the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Detention Center, where he was charged and eventually freed upon securing a $10,000 bail, according to the sheriff’s office.

According to the sheriff’s office, first reports suggested that a “truckload of militia” were responsible for the threats, but more research showed Parsons was acting alone.

Parsons also denied belonging to any militia in an interview with the BBC, referring to the US government as a “terrorist organization” that has “been violating our Constitutional Rights for way (too) long.”

The U.S. Forest Service, which is assisting FEMA in storm recovery operations, issued a message to several government agencies on Saturday informing them that FEMA had urged all federal responders in Rutherford area to evacuate the area, according to a Washington Post story published on Sunday.

According to the communication, National Guard soldiers came upon “armed militia saying they were out hunting FEMA.”

In the midst of widespread false information on the agency’s response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, FEMA acknowledged to Newsweek that it had modified operations in response to threats against its employees.

“FEMA continues to support communities impacted by Helene and help survivors apply for assistance,” stated a spokeswoman. “For the safety of our dedicated staff and the disaster survivors we are helping, FEMA has made some operational adjustments.”

The representative went on to say that FEMA is still “assisting the people of North Carolina with their recovery” and that disaster recovery centers are still operating.

Additionally, Newsweek was informed that FEMA disaster response team members were no longer working door-to-door but were instead operating from set sites out of prudence.

“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 Forest Service spokeswoman, Shayne Martin, confirmed to Newsweek on Saturday.

Martin said that the “communication was an internal one intended to help keep partners informed of the situation.”

Later on Monday, FEMA officials said that the danger had been “mitigated by law enforcement” and that it had turned out to be less serious than first thought.

“At all times, my primary concern is ensuring the safety of FEMA employees as they assist those affected by natural disasters,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.