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Authorities say a small plane has landed safely in Mississippi after a man stole it, flew erratically and one point threatened to crash into a Walmart.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves announced on Twitter that the “situation has been resolved and that no one was injured.” The plane landed and the subject was taken into custody, according to Benton County Sheriff Dispatcher Connie Strickland.
The pilot of the plane has been charged with grand larceny and making terroristic threats, Tupelo police chief John Quaka said at a press conference Saturday afternoon. Quaka said the man didn’t have a pilot’s license but had some flight instruction.
The subject, Cory Wayne Patterson, has been an employee of Tupelo Aviation for 10 years, police said.
Quaka said the man could also face federal charges.
Earlier Saturday morning, Reeves had warned residents near Tupelo, Mississippi, to “be on alert” after police said a person flying a small plane over the town threatened to crash into a Walmart.
The plane started circling over Tupelo, Mississippi, about 5 a.m. ET. Several hours later, police said the plane was on the move north of the city.
According to a police statement, the airplane pilot “made contact with (911) and is threatening to intentionally crash into Wal Mart on West Main.”
The Walmart and another neighboring store were told to evacuate, according to police.
Leslie Criss, a magazine editor who lives in Tupelo, woke up early and was watching the situation on TV and social media. Several of her friends were outside watching the plane circle overhead.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in this town,” Criss said. “It’s a scary way to wake up on a Saturday morning.”
Contributing: The Associated Press
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