Residents in a small North Carolina town were shocked to find police officers blocking a local grocery store entrance and refusing residents access to life-saving goods.
Over three days, Hurricane Helene devastated much of the Southeast region of the US, killing more than 100 people and leaving millions without power. North Carolina was one of the hardest-hit states; more than 30 deaths occurred in Buncombe County alone, according to WITN, and Black Mountain, a small town near Asheville, was one of the worst affected in the area.
Considering the dire situation, Black Mountain residents were shocked to find police in front of a local grocery store, blocking community members from buying food, diapers, and even baby formula.
X user @RaffeyeEl sent an initial tweet seeking assistance with finding a plane or helicopter to help him and his wife get out of Black Mountain and home to their son. In a follow-up tweet, he wrote the couple had been sitting in an Ingles grocery store parking lot for nearly six hours, but "Ingles refused to open or sell anything to anyone even turning away families with small children and babies."
Update: earlier today my wife and I sat in the Black Mountain Ingles parking lot from 10:30AM to 4:00PM.
— Raffy (@RaffeyeEl) September 29, 2024
Ingles refused to open or sell anything to anyone even turning away families with small children and babies. Families begging to purchase diapers and formula were turned —
He added that families were "told 'we don't have anything'" despite seeing a stocked store through the windows. Cops then started enforcing a 7 p.m. curfew by allegedly barricading the grocery store's front door with their vehicles, according to X.
— away and told "we don't have anything" when they could see clearly through the front windows that that was a lie.
— Raffy (@RaffeyeEl) September 29, 2024
We were then told to go home because there was a curfew beginning at 7PM. Cops began to barricade the front door with their vehicles.
Here are some pics from 2day
— Raffy (@RaffeyeEl) September 29, 2024
Social media users denounced the police department officers and Ingles Markets grocery store chain, which has since made its X account private, for not helping residents in need.
Property is not more important than human lives, and I'm sure the store has insurance. This is ridiculous
— Baddie Bey (@BrynnSolana) September 29, 2024
Ingles has been a terrible community partner the last few days. Stark contrast with Publix and Whole Foods. They have a monopoly in small town WNC, are a WNC staple, and they've been MIA when the chips are down. Kind of heartbreaking actually.
— Casey Jennings (@kc_j_jennings) September 29, 2024
This is sickening and there is NO possible legitimate reason for this. The curfew yes, blocking of goods/foods. NO.
— CRosey (@CRosendale8) September 29, 2024
I hope no one shops there once things get somewhat back to normal. Because that's not what you do for the community that's kept you in business.
— Paula Treides (@bonnyaye) September 29, 2024
Police guarding grocery stores while folks are denied the opportunity to purchase baby formula after losing everything is pretty indicative of where we are as a country. https://t.co/XUIWICibig
— kenzie (@316Kenzie) September 29, 2024
hey, it's really important to note that ingles have bought up all of the commercial land in black mountain so no competing stores can come in. they are literally the only grocery store in town https://t.co/zZo9IrlTNn
— Morgan ⚡️ (@TheMtnMenace) September 29, 2024
According to a Facebook update from the Black Mountain Police Department, the grocery store's parking lot is now being used to distribute water to community members. One user asked if community members can bring cash to buy food from the store to which the department responded "no."
Latin Times reached out to Black Mountain Police Department for comment but they have yet to respond at the time of publication.
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