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A man in Mississippi stole a small plane Saturday and flew over the city of Tupelo for several hours, threatening to crash it into a nearby Walmart, however, authorities said the plane landed safely on Saturday.
Gov. Tate Reeves announced on Twitter that the “situation has been resolved and that no one was injured.” He thanked law enforcement agencies that helped in bringing the aircraft down.
The plane over North MS is down. Thankful the situation has been resolved and that no one was injured. Thank you most of all to local, state, and federal law enforcement who managed this situation with extreme professionalism.
— Governor Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) September 3, 2022
The pilot, identified as 29-year-old Cory Wayne Patterson, was in custody and charged with grand larceny and making terroristic threats, Tupelo Police chief John Quaka said during a Saturday afternoon press conference.
Early reports indicate Patterson worked at Tupelo Regional Airport when he stole the aircraft at around 17:00 ET and circled over the small town for hours.
Authorities quickly evacuated the area, dispersing people and urging locals to stay home amid the threat.
Hours later, the Tupelo Police Department issued a brief statement saying it had been in constant contact with the pilot after he contacted 911 to report he wanted to crash the plane into the Walmart on West Main.
The stolen aircraft is owned by Southeast Aviation LLC, has two engines and can transport up to nine passengers.