Man who reportedly threatened to crash stolen plane into Mississippi Walmart appears in court
Published 7:04 am Thursday, September 15, 2022
The man accused of stealing an airplane and threatening to crash it into a Mississippi Walmart appeared in federal court on Wednesday.
WTVA in Tupelo reports that Cory Patterson, of Tupelo, appeared in federal court on Wednesday.
On Sept. 3, Patterson, who worked at the Tupelo Regional Airport, reportedly stole a Beechcraft King Air C90A plane from the airport, took off in the plane, then reportedly called 911 and threatened to crash the plane into a Tupelo Walmart.
Patterson then proceeded to erratically fly the plane in circles above Tupelo and part of North Mississippi, before finally landing the plane in a Tippah County field.
Patterson now faces federal charges of destruction of an aircraft and threats of destruction with an aircraft. He did not receive a bond during Wednesday’s proceeding. The court did not set a date for a preliminary hearing.
Patterson’s lawyer requested a psychological evaluation during the hearing.
Patterson will remain in custody with the US Marshals Service.