(WGHP) — Recovery efforts in western North Carolina are being disrupted by safety concerns following threats against federal responders, including FEMA workers. While local officials confirm that no threats originated in some counties, FEMA has made operational changes across the region out of caution.
The threats came after Parsons posted a message on Facebook calling for people to “overtake” the FEMA site in Lake Lure based on what he says were social media reports that FEMA was withholding supplies from hurricane survivors.
“We the people are sick and tired of the BS. We the people are seeking volunteers to join us and overtake the FEMA site in Lake Lure and send the products up the mountains this Saturday. We the people are done playing games. It’s time to show who we are and what we believe. They want to screw our citizens. Now, we return the favor,” Parsons said.
Upon arriving at Lake Lure, however, Parsons said he realized the situation was different than he had imagined.
“I went up and saw that there was absolutely nothing there, so I stayed, and I volunteered all day,” he said.
Law enforcement officials, already alerted to the threat, arrested Parsons at the scene. He insists he was simply exercising his Second Amendment rights.
“They want to sit here and lie and say I was carrying guns around. I had one gun on me, which was legally owned and sitting on the side of my hip, and I had a rifle and another pistol that were in my vehicle that were both lawful and legal to own,” Parsons said.
OldSundance