LAKE LURE, N.C. — Deputies arrested North Carolina man, William Parsons, 44, after they said he posted online threats against FEMA employees and arrived at a site armed with a rifle. Parsons has since bonded out and is facing charges related to the incident.
Authorities said Parsons threatened FEMA workers on social media on Oct. 9, then showed up to the site on Oct. 12. When we spoke with Parsons on Wednesday, he denied the allegations, saying he only wanted to help get supplies to those in need.
“They take what I, anything I said on Facebook as a threat. They need to learn what a threat is. I didn’t threaten nobody at any point,” Parsons said. He said he went to the site and volunteered until that evening. Bringing supplies to areas and people in need.
However, several days before showing up at the FEMA site, Parsons posted on Facebook: “We The People, are sick and tired of the B.S. ... We The People are seeking Volunteers to join us, to Overtake the FEMA site in Lake Lure and send the products up the mountain this Saturday. We The People are DONE PLAYING GAMES. It is time we show who we are and what we believe... They want to screw our citizens. Now, we Return the favor…"
When asked about the post, Parsons says if he could write it again, he might've changed some of the wording. He also said he did have a rifle and pistol with him when he went to the site but said that's typical for him. He always carries guns wherever he goes.
However, we asked him what did he mean by overtaking the site?
“Bring the people together in the masses and they're gonna open them gates and let the s*** go," Parsons said. "They can only deal with so many people once the amounts get so high, then they have to listen to us. We run this country. The government does not. That’s been known forever. This country is run by the people. The government works for the people, but yet the people are getting screwed. I’m just a single man standing up saying what’s on my mind. I’ve got no affiliation with anybody.”
FEMA and the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said that Parsons’ online threats, along with claims that militias were targeting FEMA workers, heightened concerns for employees’ safety. On Monday, FEMA spokesperson Jann Tracey explained their response.
“I immediately took action to pull our team from the field until we could validate what that was because my goal is to make sure that I can keep people safe,” Tracey said. “I kept them in firehouses and disaster recovery centers. Only one part of our mission was temporarily paused, and those missions are going to be resuming very shortly."
Deputies said Parsons was not part of any militia group and rumors of that militia group were unfounded.
Parsons' case was continued in court on Wednesday. He is due back in court next month.
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