A jet pilot who threatened to ram Walmart in Mississippi faces terror-related charges.
The man is in custody and faces charges of grand larceny and making terrorist threats, local police said.
"He is being charged with grand larceny and making terroristic threats. We do anticipate that the federal government will proceed with federal charges in the very near future," Tupelo Police Chief John Quaka told a press conference.
Police said Cory Patterson had stolen a King Air twin-engine jet from Tupelo's airport and flew it over the town for a few hours, putting residents on edge. He eventually landed in a field and was arrested.
The Walmart in Tupelo was evacuated after the pilot of the aircraft threatened to crash into the store, the Tupelo Police Department said.
"On 09-03-2022 at approximately 05:00 am TPD was notified that a pilot of an airplane (possibly King Air type) was flying over Tupelo," the police wrote on Facebook.
They said the pilot has made contact with E911 and is threatening to intentionally crash into Walmart on West Main.
Quaka said the man had been an employee of Tupelo Aviation for ten years and was responsible for fuelling jets. He appeared to have some flight instructions but had no license.
He stole the jet on Saturday morning after fully fuelling it the night before. He then made contact with 911 and threatened to ram the plane into a Walmart, prompting evacuation from the store and surrounding area.
He was eventually convinced to land the jet and received assistance from a private pilot because he had no landing experience, the police chief said.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves praised local, state and federal law enforcement for managing the stolen plane situation with "extreme professionalism." He said no one was injured.
( With inputs from ANI )
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