Armed man arrested over threats to FEMA workers in N.C., sheriff says

State of play: Authorities received a call Saturday alerting them that a man was armed and had "made the comment about possibly harming FEMA employees working after the disaster of Hurricane Helene in the Lake Lure and Chimney Rock area," the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office said in a press release Monday.

• Officials identified the suspect as William Jacob Parsons, 44, of Bostic, North Carolina.
• Parsons was arrested Saturday and charged with "Going Armed to the Terror of the Public," the sheriff's office said.
• Parson was armed with a rifle and a handgun at the time of his arrest, the office added.
• He was released on a $10,000 bond later that evening.

Zoom in: "The initial report stated that there was a truck load of militia that was involved," but those reports turned out to be false, the sheriff's office said.

• "Parsons acted alone," they added.

The big picture: Threats to FEMA workers and those supporting hurricane recovery efforts in North Carolina forced the agency to make "operational adjustments" to its response efforts this weekend, including standing down workers in some areas.

• "For the safety of our dedicated staff and the disaster survivors we are helping, FEMA has made some operational adjustments," per a FEMA statement shared with outlets including Axios.
• "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."

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