Pilot In Custody After Threatening To Crash Into Mississippi Walmart; Motive Under Investigation

A pilot who circled for hours on Saturday morning over Tupelo, Mississippi in a stolen plane, threatening to crash into a Walmart Inc WMT store, has landed safely in a field in Ripley, Mississippi. 

After taking off in the plane, the pilot contacted 911, threatening to hit the Tupelo Walmart. 

Shoppers and staff at the store were evacuated, and people were moved away from the area, the Tupelo Police Department said. 

Earlier, in a Facebook post, the Tupelo police said that they were notified about the incident at 5 a.m. local time. "With the mobility of an airplane of that type the danger zone is much larger than even Tupelo," the police said. 

Governor Tate Reeves went on Twitter to alert residents about the incident. 

State law enforcement and emergency managers are closely tracking this dangerous situation. All citizens should be on alert and aware of updates from the Tupelo Police Department. https://t.co/hQ8GxcR8s0

— Governor Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) September 3, 2022

Later, he confirmed that the plane landed safely, and the pilot was taken into custody. 

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 plane was spotted flying over Holly Springs National Forest, which covers a wide swath of northeast and north central Mississippi.

The Department of Homeland Security is investigating the issue and is working to discern a motive.

According to The Daily Journal, the man flying the plane works at Tupelo Regional Airport.