The felony charge is there to make a point.
He needs to apologize, buy the kid a new hat, pay a lot of lawyer fees and a fine, get lectured by the Judge, and plead to a misdemeanor.
I would rather he not have a felony conviction and be able to keep working to support himself rather than take two years off to learn to be a criminal in the company of real felons and spend any portion of the rest of his life on taxpayer supported welfare.
Road Crew might hold the Environment too.