NewsNation

Pilot who threatened to crash into Walmart denied bond

(NewsNation) — Cory Wayne Patterson was formally charged with grand larceny and making terrorist threats then denied bond Tuesday, the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reported Sunday.

The ruling comes after local authorities claim Patterson stole a Beechcraft King Air C90A early Saturday, called 911 and then threatened to crash the aircraft into a busy Walmart.


Police evacuated the store while Patterson circled in the air for five hours and even posted goodbye messages to his family on Facebook.

Eventually negotiators reportedly convinced Patterson not carry out the threat and to land at the airport which, because he did not have experience, another pilot had to coach him through.

Patterson was eventually taken into custody upon landing the plane where they found out he did not have a pilot’s license but was employed at Tupelo Aviation and had some flight training.

What is still unclear, however, is why the 29-year-old reportedly stole the fully-fueled plane from the Tupelo regional airport, causing chaos over the weekend.

No one was hurt.