A pilot on Saturday threatened to intentionally crash into a Walmart store in Mississippi of the United States. The pilot, who had reportedly stolen a plane, flew in circles for over an hour before landing in a field. The pilot was later identified as Cory Patterson. He had landed in a field in Ashland, roughly 60 miles northeast of Tupelo, Fox News reported.
The Tupelo Police Department said it was notified that a pilot of an airplane (possibly King Air type) was flying over Tupelo city. “The pilot has made contact with E911 and is threatening to intentionally crash into Wal Mart on West Main,” the police department said.
The security officials worked with Wal-Mart West and Dodges on West Main to evacuate the stores and disperse people. “At this time, the situation is ongoing with TPD and all Emergency Services in our area on alert. Citizens are asked to avoid that area until an all clear is given. With the mobility of an airplane of that type the danger zone is much larger than even Tupelo,” the police department said.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said the state law enforcement and emergency managers were closely tracking this dangerous situation. “All citizens should be on alert and aware of updates from the Tupelo Police Department,” he said.
The pilot later landed in a field and surrendered to the police. In another tweet, Governor Tate Reeves said that the plane was 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,” he said.
