ATLANTA - Billy Joe Cagle, the man accused of threatening to shoot up Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, pleaded not guilty to federal charges on Friday, his attorney said.

Billy Joe Cagle pleads not guilty

What they're saying:

Billy Halliburton, one of the attorneys representing Cagle, addressed the media outside the federal courthouse after the hearing.

"In this case, we continually are treating this case as a medical issue and not an issue of malice criminal behavior," Halliburton said. "You know, increasingly across this country, we see mental health issues. So we wanted to make sure we preserve his constitutional rights to a mental health evaluation and competency, even though he pled not guilty today."

Billy Joe Cagle charges

What we know:

Cagle, 49, is char

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