北卡罗来纳州卢瑟福县的警长办公室周一宣布，他们逮捕了一名男子，并指控他涉嫌威胁伤害该地区的联邦紧急事务管理局(FEMA)工作人员。
根据卢瑟福县警长办公室向ABC新闻提供的一份声明，44岁的威廉·帕森思来自北卡罗来纳州的博斯蒂克，被控“武装恐怖公众”。
卢瑟福县治安官办公室的声明说，周六，代表们调查了Lure湖和烟囱岩附近的报告，报告称“一名白人男子持有突击步枪，并发表了可能伤害在该地区工作的联邦应急管理局员工的评论”。根据声明，目击者能够为执法部门提供足够的信息，最终找到并确认帕森斯的身份，他持有一把手枪和一支步枪。
据卢瑟福县治安官办公室称，帕森斯在缴纳10，000美元保证金后于周六获释。
“最初的报告称，有一卡车民兵卷入其中。然而，经过进一步调查后，确定帕森斯是单独行动的，没有一卡车的民兵去卢尔湖，”声明说。
根据跟踪极端组织在线活动的SITE Intelligence，帕森斯在网上推广了民兵组织the Three Percenters。
逮捕的消息传出前一天，距离卢瑟福县北部约两小时车程的北卡罗来纳州阿什县的警长说，有人威胁联邦应急管理局应对飓风海伦的员工。
阿什县治安官菲尔·豪厄尔说:“最近在山区，有人对他们进行威胁。”张贴在脸书关于对联邦应急管理局雇员的威胁。
豪厄尔补充说:“这种情况在阿什县或周边县都没有发生。”"出于谨慎，他们在评估威胁时暂停了进程。"
豪厄尔警长在他的帖子中没有具体说明据称是谁发出的威胁，也不知道帕森斯所谓的威胁是否是豪厄尔警长所指的威胁。美国广播公司新闻部向阿什县警长办公室发出的置评请求没有得到立即回应。
联邦当局告诉ABC新闻，在飓风应对期间，联邦应急管理局员工一直受到威胁，同时还有错误信息。
一名联邦消息人士告诉ABC新闻，受灾地区的搜救工作仍在继续。然而，尽管联邦应急管理局评估潜在的威胁信息，但出于大量的谨慎，灾难幸存者援助小组目前正在固定的地点和安全区域工作，而不是挨家挨户地工作，该消息人士说，并补充说，联邦应急管理局将监测威胁信息，并与当地官员协调，定期对这一态势进行调整。
联邦应急管理局发言人告诉美国广播公司新闻，该机构继续支持受海伦影响的社区，并帮助幸存者申请援助。
“为了我们敬业的工作人员和我们正在帮助的灾难幸存者的安全，联邦应急管理局已经做了一些操作上的调整，”发言人说。“灾难恢复中心将继续如期开放，幸存者继续登记寻求援助，我们将继续帮助北卡罗来纳州人民恢复。”
在北卡罗来纳州州长罗伊·库珀的指导下，该州公共安全部将协助联邦应急管理局开展工作。
“我们知道，网上的重大错误信息导致了对地面反应人员的威胁，反应人员的安全必须是优先事项，”州长说。“在我的指示下，北卡罗来纳州公共安全部正在帮助像联邦应急管理局这样的合作伙伴与执法部门协调，以确保他们在继续开展重要工作时的安全和安保。”
警长豪厄尔说，阿什县的联邦应急管理局地点本周开放。
他说:“在我们的恢复过程中保持冷静和稳定，帮助人们，请不要惹是生非。”
联邦应急管理局局长迪安·克里斯威尔星期五在新闻发布会上告诉美国广播公司，对联邦应急管理局雇员的威胁是一种“耻辱”和“干扰”
克里斯威尔在回答ABC新闻的一个问题时说:“我们持续监控社交媒体、渠道和其他渠道，因为我们想确保我们为员工提供最安全的环境，并确保他们知道他们的安全是我们进入这些社区的首要问题。”。
克里斯威尔说，当灾难发生时，联邦应急管理局从当地社区雇用人员，并指出“许多人”离开他们的家人去帮助受灾难影响的社区。
Man arrested for allegedly threatening to harm FEMA workers in North Carolina
The sheriff's office in Rutherford County, NC, announced Monday that they'd arrested a man and charged him with allegedly threatening to harm Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) workers in the area.
William Parsons, 44, of Bostic, NC, was charged with "going armed to the terror of the public," according to a statement from the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office provided to ABC News.
The Rutherford County Sheriff's Office statement said deputies on Saturday investigated reports in the vicinity of Lake Lure and Chimney Rock that a "white male had an assault rifle and made the comment about possibly harming FEMA employees" working in the area. Witnesses were able to provide enough information for law enforcement to ultimately locate and identify Parsons, who was armed with a handgun and a rifle, according to the statement.
Parsons was released Saturday after posting $10,000 bond, according to the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office.
"The initial report stated there was a truckload of militia that was involved. However, after further investigation, it was determined Parsons acted alone and there were no truckloads of militia going to Lake Lure," the statement said.
According to SITE Intelligence, which tracks the online activity of extremist organizations, Parsons has promoted the militia group the Three Percenters online.
News of the arrest came one day after the sheriff in Ashe County, NC, about two hours to the north of Rutherford County, said that there had been threats against FEMA employees responding to Hurricane Helene.
"Recently in the mountain region, there have been threats made against them," Ashe County Sheriff Phil Howellposted on Facebookregarding the alleged threats against FEMA employees.
"This has not happened in Ashe County or the surrounding counties," Howell added. "Out of an abundance of caution, they have paused their process as they are assessing the threats."
Sheriff Howell did not specify in his post who allegedly made the threats, nor is it known if Parsons' alleged threat is the one to which Sheriff Howell was referring. An ABC News request for comment sent to the Ashe County Sheriff's Office did not receive an immediate response.
Threats to FEMA employees have been consistent during the Hurricane response, along with misinformation, federal authorities told ABC News.
Search and rescue efforts in the affected areas continue, a federal source told ABC News. However, while FEMA assesses potential threat information, disaster survivor assistance teams are currently working at fixed locations and secure areas instead of going door to door, out of an abundance of caution, the source said, adding that FEMA will monitor threat information and make adjustments to this posture on a regular basis in coordination with local officials.
A FEMA spokesperson told ABC News that the agency continues to support communities impacted by Helene and to help survivors apply for assistance.
"For the safety of our dedicated staff and the disaster survivors we are helping, FEMA has made some operational adjustments," the spokesperson said. "Disaster Recovery Centers will continue to be open as scheduled, survivors continue to register for assistance, and we continue to help the people of North Carolina with their recovery."
At the direction of North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, the state's Department of Public Safety will assist FEMA conduct their operations.
"We know that significant misinformation online contributes to threats against response workers on the ground, and the safety of responders must be a priority," the governor said. "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."
Sheriff Howell said that FEMA locations in Ashe County are open this week.
"Stay calm and steady during our recovery, help folks and please don't stir the pot," he said.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told ABC News Friday during a press briefing that threats to FEMA employees are a "shame" and a "distraction."
"We continuously monitor the social media, channels, other outlets where we're seeing this information, because we want to make sure we're providing for the safest environment for our employees, and making sure that they know that their safety is first and foremost for us as they go out into these communities," Criswell said in response to a question from ABC News.
FEMA hires people from local communities when disaster hits, Criswell said, noting that "many" leave their families behind to go and help communities who are impacted by disaster.
