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By Jon Jackson
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A sheriff in Tennessee on Wednesday said witnesses reported seeing a group of armed people harassing hurricane relief workers in his county last weekend.
Carter County Sheriff Mike Fraley told The Associated Press (AP) that no arrests were made, but witnesses said they saw FEMA workers in some type of altercation with armed individuals. The incident reportedly took place in Elk Mills, a community near the North Carolina border.
According to Fraley, the witnesses felt the armed group was wanting to cause trouble for the relief workers.
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"It was a little hairy situation, no guns were drawn, but they were armed," Fraley told the AP.
The report comes after FEMA workers operating in North Carolina's Rutherford County were told to evacuate on Saturday over concerns that an "armed militia" was threatening workers in the area. Authorities have since arrested a man on Saturday accused of making other violent threats to FEMA workers.
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The suspect, William Jacob Parsons, 44, was charged with "going armed to the terror of the public," Rutherford County Sheriff's Office confirmed on Monday. He has been released on bail and denies making threats towards aid workers. On Wednesday, Parsons appeared in court, where he was appointed a public defender and given a court date of November 12.
There is no indication that the incidents in Tennessee and North Carolina are related, but FEMA continues fighting misinformation since Hurricanes Helene and Milton hit. Some people on social media have called for FEMA to be targeted after a rumor circulated online that the devastated North Carolina town of Chimney Rock was going to be seized and bulldozed by the government despite local authorities and news outlets debunking the claim.
Former President Donald Trump and others have also fueled false claims that FEMA has not been able to respond well enough because it diverted disaster relief funds to help migrants. That claim is not true. While FEMA administers the Shelter and Services Program, money for that program comes from separate funds approved by Congress for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Other false claims have also been made, including that people taking federal relief money could have their land seized, or that $750 is the most they will ever get to rebuild. FEMA has set up a page on its website to combat misinformation and rumors.
Fraley told the AP that his department would be setting up a 24-hour command post in Elk Mills because of the incident involving the armed group.
"The community in that area has been great to work with, but this group is trying to create more hate toward the federal government," Fraley said.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
Update 10/21/24 4:20 p.m. ET: This story has been updated to correct Carter County Sheriff Mike Fraley's last name, which had been misspelled by The Associated Press as "Farley."
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