The fact remains that there were a couple of hours involved. Male genitalia most certainly could become irreparably damaged, if not totally removed from the suspect with the basic accouterments at an airline passenger's disposal. The prominent mention of the lack of air Marshall presence is telling. It is now a tough choice. Freak out and get shot dead if there are Feds, or freak out and get severely hurt if there are no Feds. Harsh decision either way on the part of the aggressor. And I travel a lot.
Simple ,Dont be an aggressor.