William Barthel, age 30, of 1661 Emerald Mine Road in Spruce Pine was arrested by Avery County Sheriff’s Deputies on Tuesday, January 16th, after appearing at the Avery County Commissioners monthly meeting holding a sign with profane language directed at a county official, then refusing to leave the meeting following a request to do so.
As commissioners opened their meeting with public comment, Barthel stood in the back of the boardroom and was seen unfurling a vinyl sign that included the image of a county official and vulgar language. Barthel was approached by a deputy and asked to remove his sign, which Barthel refused to do, citing the First Amendment right of free speech. Commission Chair Tim Phillips requested that Barthel be removed from the boardroom due to disruption of the meeting, and a confrontation occurred between Barthel and several Avery County Sheriff’s deputies. Barthel refused to leave and questioned whether he was trespassing and, following a brief scuffle in the back of the boardroom, was escorted out of the meeting. Continued resistance and shouting of obscenities at law enforcement officials was heard in the hallway, leading to an arrest.
Barthel was charged with disruption of official meetings and resisting a public officer, both misdemeanor charges, and was released on bond. He is scheduled to appear in Avery County District Court on Wednesday, February 7th.
