The local news in Atlanta keeps saying, "He said he didn't realize that he was the cause of the ruckus" like Lasseter was telling the truth when he said that.
It was reported that he blew past a security guard who was trying to stop him, which is an indicator to me that he should have known that he was doing something wrong. He was caught slinking about the gate area and his guilty manner was part of what tipped off the pilot who caught him. The bottom line is -- he knew.
Lasseter is a MAJOR bonehead and I think he should be held responsible for the consequences of his actions.
My guess is that cosmic justice will be leveled on his head, and but soon. My guess -- within the next month, this guy is going to get a beating, have his car keyed or torched, or have something else bad happen to him as a result of his actions and the publicity his story has generated. Too many Atlantans were inconvenienced. While the South may be known for its hospitality, it will eat its own when it's necessary.
Get a grip. He did not slit someone's throat to hijack and airplane. Sure he is a bonehead. So what? Being a bonehead is not a felony, and the day it becomes one, a lot of other things are going to become felonies too.
Fortunatly, from the reactions here the prosecutor is going to have a hard time finding a jury to convict. If I am on it they can keep the jury locked up for a month of Sunday's and the best they will get is a mistrial.