I can't defend the airlines, but you also have to wonder what all happened to lead up to this guy being dragged (literally) off of the bird. I mean, ok, he denied whatever offer that they made to get off. But between then, and the time that he was looking at 3 cops? What happened in that time span. Also, no matter what, when you've got 3 cops telling you to get the hell off the plane, you should already know that you're losing this battle. You might win the war after the fact, through complaints to the airlines and possibly getting legal involved. BUT, at that moment, it's a done deal. That bird isn't taking off with you on it. So there's no reason to throw a fit and force the cops into doing something that we all know that they'd probably rather not be doing.
Like I said. You know that there's more to this, then just what's been seen. There always is. Plus, I've already heard a couple things that are pointing to the idea that this guy is half of a whack-job.
Like I said, I can't defend the airlines though. They suck. Just like everybody else in this world. But I also don't fly too often.
Hell, the last time I was on a plane, I jumped out at around 14,000 feet. And there was nothing wrong with the plane.