Man accused of anti-government social media posts surrenders to authorities

CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. — A police standoff ended just before noon Friday in Catawba County after officers tried to serve arrest warrants. According to a warrant, the suspect posted anti-government rhetoric on social media.

The Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force, which includes U.S. Marshals and deputies, was the agency serving the warrants. They arrived around 5 a.m. to a home along Guy Baker Road, which runs off Lee Cline Road.

Deputies said Ian McMahon had barricaded himself inside the home. A SWAT team was called in and an armored truck was at the home. At one point, SWAT surrounded the home.

Authorities told Channel 9′s Dave Faherty they had been working to serve warrants for possession of a firearm by a felon, narcotics and probation violation.

A warrant outlined McMahon’s social media postings, including one where he stated “people in charge need to be forcibly replaced therefore it’s probably not gonna be accomplished without some bloodshed.”

Faherty spoke with Catawba County Maj. Aaron Turk about the arrest.

“Certainly, anything like this has potential danger for the community,” he said. “But we were able to wait him out and negotiate McMahon’s surrender.”

Faherty could hear deputies over a loud speaker and at one point, they attached a battering ram to the armored vehicle. But in the end, McMahon surrendered to authorities in the yard. Faherty could see him come out with his hands up and a cigarette in his mouth.

“They’d say, ‘come out of the house and put your hands on your head.’ They kept saying that, kept saying that, kept saying that,” said John Hendricks, who lives next door.

Deputies are getting a search warrant now and plan to search the home where the standoff happened.

Hendricks was surprised to learn of the allegations and only remembers seeing his neighbor walk his dogs.

“I’ve known him a couple of years now and he’s always been quiet. Never had any problems with him, no,” he said. “He’s a pretty good guy.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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