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A federal judge will decide Wednesday whether a Cartersville man accused of threatening to “shoot up” Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport should remain behind bars while his case moves forward, a decision one trial attorney says could hinge on mental-health concerns more than the government’s evidence itself.
Billy Joe Cagle federal charges
Billy Joe Cagle, 49, faces multiple federal charges including attempted violence at an international airport, interstate communications containing threats to injure others, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The detention hearing was rescheduled to next Wednesday at 1 p.m. in federal court.
According to a federal complaint, Cagle’s wife and another person walked into the Cartersville Police Department Monday morning saying he was unstable and suffering from schizophrenia while off his medication. As they were en route, investigators say Cagle FaceTimed them while driving, showed airport signage, and said, “I’m at the airport, I’m going to go ‘rat a tat tat.’” Police in Atlanta located and arrested him inside the terminal within minutes.
In an arrest warrant filed in Clayton County, investigators wrote that Cagle had also claimed on the phone that he was driving on Interstate 75 with a gun and planned to “shoot some cars.” Officers later recovered a rifle and ammunition from his truck parked outside the airport.
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Will mass shooting charges stick?
Legal experts say next week’s hearing is not about guilt, it’s about risk.
“The alleged threats made by Mr. Cagle involved everyone at the airport. The allegations involve a mass shooting, so federal prosecutors are going to be very concerned about his mental-health stability, access to weapons as well as his willingness to comply with the orders of the court,” said trial attorney Joshua Schiffer, who is not connected to the case.
But Schiffer says prosecutors may face resistance if they try to keep Cagle locked up all the way through trial.
“I don’t feel that the federal government has a strong case to keep him incarcerated for the entirety of his prosecution. With the mental-health defense that appears to be at the heart of Mr. Cagle’s overall defense, that will allow the defense to argue a release to either a facility or other solution that doesn’t consume limited law-enforcement resources.”
Cagle’s attorneys say the federal government has now fully assumed the case. It is not yet clear whether any of the separate state charges filed in Clayton County will proceed or be dismissed.
Cagle’s next court appearance
A federal judge will decide Wednesday whether Cagle is released under supervision or held without bond.
Mental competency and access to treatment are expected to be major factors in the hearing.
Prosecutors are expected to argue he poses a danger to the public based on the alleged threats and his prior felony firearm status.
The hearing will not determine guilt. It will only determine whether he remains in custody while the case proceeds.
The case now becomes a test of how federal courts balance public safety, firearms law, and mental illness, all inside the nation’s busiest airport.
