Cory Patterson is the treacherous pilot who stole a plane in Mississippi and threatened to crash into Walmart. However, he landed it in a field after negotiators convinced and guided him. He has been taken into custody and will be charged. Read on to know more about the incident.
The police will charge Patterson with grand larceny and making terroristic threats. He may possibly face federal charges as well. The police are continuing to figure out the motive along with the FBI.
Who is Cory Patterson?
Cory Patterson is a lineman for Tupelo Aviation at the Tupelo Regional Airport for nearly ten years. He is 29 years old and is from Shannon, Mississippi. Patterson is a 2011 Tupelo High School graduate.
However, Daily Journal reports that Patterson “is not an employee of the Tupelo Regional Airport, but may work for a Fixed Based Operator that leases space at the Tupelo airport.”
Patterson has a student pilot license issued to his name. He has been identified as the renegade pilot accused of threatening to crash a small plane into a local Walmart store in Tupelo, Mississippi.
What did Cory Patterson do?
On Saturday, September 3, 2022, Tupelo citizens saw a plane making waves in the skies above them. 911 received several reports of the incident and then they received a call from Cory Patterson threatening to crash the plane into a local Walmart store.
Cory Patterson stole a fully fueled Beechcraft King Air C90 twin-engine aircraft from Tupelo Airport at around 5 AM. He circled the plane over Tupelo for hours, creating a dangerous situation that could have turned worst.
Tupelo police warned the public in a news release that the pilot was “threatening to intentionally crash into Walmart on West Main.” Negotiators made contact with Patterson and convinced him to land at the airport.
He then tried to land but aborted the landing around 100 feet above the ground and traveled northwest. Eventually, he made the landing in a field in Benton County, 40 miles northwest of Tupelo.
In a press conference, Tupelo Police Chief John Quaka stated that Patterson “has some flight instruction but we don’t believe he is a licensed pilot.” He confirmed that the pilot was alive and had been taken into custody.
This is the path where Patterson flew the plane.
Why did Cory Patterson steal a plane and threaten to crash it?
The motive behind Cory Patterson stealing the plane, flying it over Tupelo, and threatening to crash into Walmart is unknown at the moment. It was possibly a suicide attempt considering Patterson’s last Facebook post (which is now deleted).
“Sorry everyone. Never actually wanted to hurt anyone. I love my parents and sister this isn’t your fault. Goodbye,” he wrote in the post hinting that he’s going to end it all by killing himself.
The incident was similar to the tragedy involving Richard Russell who stole a large jet in Seattle and flew around the city before crying it and dying in the process.
The Police and the FBI continue the investigation
The Tupelo Police Department continues to investigate the case and figure out Patterson’s motive behind the incident alongside the FBI.
“We will run down with the motivation,” Quaka said at the news conference. “We will pursue any angle and avenue that there is. We will work in conjunction with the FBI to do so.”
Patterson’s friend bashes people & society
Patterson’s close friend, Chelsey Fleming, has also shared a post on Facebook suggesting that he may have tried to end his life but the people are still humiliating him.
“You see that guy on the very far left. His name is Cory Patterson. He’s a human being. A good human being too. He made a huge mistake today and it saddens me that the rest of the world won’t ever get to know him the way that I do.
“This world is cruel (clearly proven through some of the comments that I’ve read). We have become a selfish society where we think it’s cooler to create ‘memes’ about someone else’s emotional state than it is to be the reason someone decides to live another day. That’s sick!!!” the post reads.
“He could have ended it all today, freeing himself from all the hurtful and ugly things that are going to be said about him but instead, he chose life and a chance at forgiveness. You too have a decision to make, you can either pray for him or you can be the reason that ppl feel they have no hope.”
We will keep you updated with further developments on this case.