Mitchell County, North Carolina, sheriff’s deputies “stole” generators intended for Hurricane Helene victims.
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Damage from Hurricane Helene near Asheville, N.C., is seen Oct. 2, 2024, during an aerial tour. (AP)
No evidence N.C. law enforcement stole generators donated for Helene victims
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- Mitchell County, North Carolina, leaders say they requested generators from the state that Samaritan’s Purse, a nonprofit, had donated and asked county sheriff’s deputies to distribute them to people affected by Hurricane Helene.
- Spokespeople for Samaritan’s Purse and the state’s emergency response department say they know of no stolen generators.
- A TikTok that claimed Mitchell County sheriff’s deputies stole the generators presented no evidence to support its claim.
A TikTok video shared widely on social media accuses North Carolina law enforcement officers of stealing generators intended for Hurricane Helene’s victims.
In the two-minute Dec. 4 video that says "Bakersville, North Carolina," on screen when it begins, a man approaches Mitchell County sheriff’s deputies and accuses them of putting a donated generator in their truck.
"You are in possession of stolen generators," a voice says, adding that he needs them back to deliver to disabled people.
After back-and-forth between the man and deputies, at the end of the video, on-screen text says: "We were only able to deliver two of those 40 generators to disabled elderly before the sheriff deputies stole the rest and lied about delivering to hurricane victims."
The video was viewed hundreds of thousands of times and has nearly 70,000 likes.
The TikTok was reshared on X and YouTube.
Hurricane Helene made landfall in North Carolina on Sept. 27, killing 103 people. State budget officials estimate the storm caused more than $50 billion in damage.
People emailed WRAL-TV, PolitiFact’s North Carolina partner, asking whether the generator claims are true.
Mitchell County authorities say the claims are inaccurate, and state leaders who coordinate hurricane relief said they don’t know about any generators being stolen.
Mitchell County issued a public letter signed by County Manager Allen Cook, Sheriff Donald Street and the county’s emergency director, Kolby Silver.
In the letter, the officials said the claims stemmed from "a misunderstanding by an out-of-town individual attempting to gain attention."
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The person who posted the TikTok video didn’t respond to a request for comment.
The letter said the county requested from the state 40 generators, which Samaritan’s Purse, a Boone, North Carolina-based nonprofit organization, had donated. Samaritan’s Purse helped with storm recovery.
The North Carolina National Guard delivered the generators by helicopter Oct. 15 to Bowman Middle School in Bakersville. The Mitchell County sheriff’s office had used the school as a relief distribution center; the school was visible in the background as the TikTok video began.
"No generators were stolen," Mitchell County leaders said in their letter.
"Our sheriff’s office played a key role in distributing these generators to our citizens who are elderly, special-needs, families with children 2 and under, and those expecting power outages for months in our hardest hit areas," the letter said. "These deputies, trusted members of our community, were uniquely equipped to navigate our region and provide support."
Kaitlyn Josten, a Samaritan’s Purse spokesperson, told PolitiFact her organization had received no formal complaints or reports of its generators being stolen.
"We have a great working relationship with Mitchell County government officials, and we are thankful for their support as they continue to help us reach those who are suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene," Josten said. "We refer you to the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office for more information."
North Carolina Emergency Management, a division of the state’s Department of Public Safety, is leading the state’s Helene relief. The division knows of no verified reports of donated generators being stolen, a spokesperson told PolitiFact.
Our ruling
A TikTok video said Mitchell County sheriff’s deputies stole generators intended for Hurricane Helene’s victims.
The person who posted the video provided no proof to support the claim.
Mitchell County officials say it’s inaccurate, and that the nonprofit Samaritan’s Purse donated the generators and sheriff’s deputies distributed them. A Samaritan’s Purse spokesperson said the organization has received no formal complaints or reports of its generators being stolen.
The state’s top hurricane relief agency said it knows of no missing or stolen generators.
We rate this claim False.
Our Sources
Video posted to TikTok Dec. 4, 2024.
Email correspondence with Kaitlyn Josten, director of marketing and media for Samaritan’s Purse.
Email correspondence with Stacy "Four" Eggers, County Attorney for Mitchell County.
Statement released by Mitchell County County Manager Allen Cook, Mitchell County Sheriff Donald Street and the county’s Emergency Director Kolby Silver.
Email correspondence with the North Carolina Emergency Management’s Joint Information Center.
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No evidence N.C. law enforcement stole generators donated for Helene victims
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