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.
