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The pilot of a small plane was taken into custody after he threatened to "intentionally crash" into a Walmart in Tupelo, Mississippi. The pilot, Cory Patterson, allegedly stole a Beechcraft King Air 90from Tupelo Regional Airport and started flying toward the Walmart.
Patterson then called 911 and said he was going to crash the plane. Police evacuated the Walmart, along with a nearby gas station and restaurant.
Patterson circled the area at an altitude between 900 and 2,000 feet for several hours before heading northwest. He eventually landed in a field in Benton County, about 50 miles away, and was taken into custody. He was not injured, despite a hard landing.
"That's when we heard the thud," Roxanne Ward told CNN. "He landed pretty hard."
Officials have not said why Patterson, who is an employee at the airport, stole the plane and then threatened to crash into the store.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the FBI are assisting local law enforcement with the ongoing investigation.