On October 14, CNN reported that a man from North Carolina has been arrested for threatening to harm Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) workers responding to Hurricane Helene. The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office stated that 44-year-old William Parsons faces charges of “carrying a weapon to intimidate the public.”

Sheriff Jamie Kiefer provided details about the incident, revealing that local authorities received a call on October 12 from someone reporting that a man had expressed intentions to harm FEMA workers engaged in disaster relief efforts following the hurricane’s impact.

Later that day, investigators obtained information about Parsons’ vehicle, including its color and license plate. This led them to apprehend him inside his car parked outside a grocery store that was being used as a relief center.

“Parsons was found with both a handgun and a rifle at the time of his arrest,” Kiefer noted. Following the announcement of Parsons’ arrest, he clarified that Parsons appeared to have acted alone.

After posting a $10,000 bond, Parsons has since been released. However, the armed threat he posed has resulted in the temporary closure of some FEMA offices, hindering assistance to several communities affected by Hurricane Helene in the state.

Rutherford County, located in the southeastern part of North Carolina’s heavily impacted Asheville area, has experienced devastating floods and landslides. Since the arrival of Hurricane Helene, over 100 people have lost their lives in North Carolina, and thousands are currently involved in the disaster recovery process.