The pilot of an airplane threatened to intentionally crash the aircraft into a Walmart store in Tupelo, Mississippi, the United States, the police said on Saturday, 3 September.
After the scare, the pilot landed the aircraft in a field and was arrested. He is facing terror charges in the incident.
"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, news agency ANI.
What Had Happened
As per a statement by the Tupelo Police Department, "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 pilot has made contact with E911 and is threatening to intentionally crash into Walmart on West Main."
About three hours later, at 08:35 am, the plane was circling the north of Tupelo in the Benton, Union County Area, as per the police.
The police alerted Walmart West and Dodges on West Main to evacuate the stores and disperse people, as per the statement. All emergency services were on alert.
The police department was also able to begin talking with the pilot directly.
"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 in a Facebook post.
Further, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves tweeted, "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."
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)