A plane circled early Saturday over Tupelo, Mississippi, and the pilot threatened to crash into a Walmart, Fox 29 reported.
In a press release on its Facebook page, the Tupelo Police Department (TPD) said it was alerted at approximately 5:00 a.m. the pilot of an aircraft, possibly a King Air, was in the sky over Tupelo.
“The pilot has made contact with E911 and is threatening to intentionally crash into Wal Mart on West Main,” the department explained:
“TPD has worked with Wal-Mart West and Dodges on West Main to evacuate the stores and disperse people as much as practical. TPD also has been able to begin talking with the pilot directly,” the agency continued.
In an update at approximately 8:30 a.m., Tupelo police said, “The plane is reported to be airborne north of Tupelo in the Benton, Union County Area. Local, State and Federal Authorities are continuing to monitor this dangerous situation.”
Video footage taken from a neighborhood street showed the low-flying plane circling over homes in the area before moving out of sight:
The pilot of this small plane flying erratically over Tupelo, Mississippi, is threatening to crash it into a Walmart, police say. TPD speaking with pilot directly. Wal-Mart evacuated.
— Michael Pegram (@MichaelPNews) September 3, 2022
Law enforcement said the situation was ongoing with agency officials and Emergency Services staying abreast of developments.
Authorities urged citizens to avoid the area until they received an all-clear.
“With the mobility of an airplane of that type the danger zone is much larger than even Tupelo,” the police department stated, adding, “More information will be released when appropriate.”
Additional video footage recorded from directly underneath the plane caught the moment the aircraft flew overhead:
BREAKING: Tupelo, Mississippi police fear the pilot at the controls of this plane is threatening to fly it into a Walmart. Evacuations are underway. pic.twitter.com/3tkAygDQ3C
— Griffin Frank (@GriffinFrank) September 3, 2022
In a social media post Saturday morning, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves told followers authorities were tracking the situation:
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
“All citizens should be on alert and aware of updates from the Tupelo Police Department,” he concluded.
Gov. Reeves’ post also included what appeared to be an image of the plane’s flight path in green with the aircraft seen in the upper left portion.
Update: Officials said the plane had landed safely, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced in a social media post just after 10:30 a.m. the plane was down.
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
“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,” he wrote.
The plane was reportedly stolen and officials were trying to determine if the pilot was employed by a local airport.
The pilot was reportedly taken into custody after landing in a field in Tippah County, according to NBC Washington producer Michael Pegram.
#BREAKING: Pilot taken into custody after threatening to 'intentionally crash' into Mississippi Walmart. The pilot landed the plane in a field in Tippah County, Mississippi, just outside of Benton, authorities say.
— Michael Pegram (@MichaelPNews) September 3, 2022
Didn’t state airport of departure….wherever…lightweight security there nonetheless…
One question is that piece of Crim*nal crazed slime D*AD YET. Do the world a favor & Check out P*g. Are the Democrat Rich Elite Communists George Soros Elected DAs, AGs, Judges Lawyers rushing to tuen him loose or decline to prosecute. You know ALL the Dirty Dems that Soros paid off & also helped elect As part of his & Hussein Obama’s Nation Kil*er Plans to ruin America by letting ALL Criminals & Legal & NOT Loose again & again to ki*l & Terrorize Americans as fast as those two Rich Sick Communists can?
Too bad he did not crash the plane into a mountain & take his criminal disgusting self out for good, or maybe step in front of a moving train or jump off a cliff: so many ways to commit suic*de by various deadly weapons, also Hang*ng Drugs or my Favorite is to get busy with as many sick vile disgusting Pedoph*le a diseased child hunting monsters aka the Tr*ns, G*y, Mut*nts or any of the G*Y ALPHABET CLUB To CATCH a deadly G*y Venereal Disease & then another crimi*nal sack of pu*s is gone forever.
Surely you can easily catch & DIE FROM G*y Venereal Diseases Rampant Today (thanks Dem Pol Dirt) Like the well known Monkey Pox AIDES & any number of Vile Painful TERMINAL G*Y Venereal (S*x) Diseases they pass around freely. (Especially to innocent children in school aka Filth they are Pure Filth) And all The Democrat Politicians (Pols) aka the Dem Pol Dirt that ALL Encourage, Back & Protect ALL these child hunting monsters.
People will do ANYTHING to get their 15 minutes…
Unfortunately, he didn’t crash the plane into the ground killing himself. Better luck next time, loser!