Woman threatened to shoot down MCAS Beaufort planes, cops say. Here's why

A Yemassee-area woman allegedly threatened to shoot down aircraft from the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort because the noise was scaring her animals, according to Colleton County Sheriff's Office.

The woman told a Colleton County deputy that the planes were disturbing her horses and causing them to run away, according to Sheriff's Office spokesman Lt. Tyger Benton Tuesday night. The woman was upset that her horses were getting out of their pen area and told the deputy she would have to take matters into her own hands.

The Sheriff's Office contacted the air station about the threat and the investigation was passed on to the Federal Aviation Administration and military Criminal Investigation Divisons, Benton said. The woman did not face any charges from the Sheriff's Office.

"Our jets have been operating over the skies of Beaufort and the surrounding area since 1960," MCAS Beaufort said in a statement to Live 5 News on Tuesday after also confirming the threat. "It is imperative that our training be conducted to certify that we are the most prepared to defend our country when the nation calls on us. We apologize for any inconvenience that our training causes but it's what ensures mothers, fathers, husbands, wives and children all over this country that their family member in uniform comes home."

A spokesman for the air station could not immediately be reached for comment.

This story was originally published April 24, 2018 at 8:10 PM with the headline "Woman threatened to shoot down MCAS Beaufort planes, cops say. Here's why."