FBI Offers $25K Reward in Shooting of Federal Judge

U.S. District Judge Terrence Berg is recovering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the leg. (Screenshot: WJBK-TV video)

» Get Patch’s daily newsletter and e-alerts.

The FBI is offering a $25,0000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of two suspects who shot a federal judge on his front porch in Thursday night after he refused to let them in his home in the stately University District on Detroit’s west side.

The two men, described as black males of average build ages 25-30, approached U.S. District Terrence Berg about 9:10 p.m. as he was retrieving trash totes from the curb. Berg is recovering from a gunshot wound to his thigh after having undergone surgery to assist in healing.

The judge has been hailed as a hero for standing up to the two men, one of whom allegedly held a gun to the judge’s back and said, “Don’t turn around. We don’t want to hurt you, just let us inside.”

Berg was shot in in the leg as he turned around to confront the men, who took off running when the gun discharged. They fled the scene in a dark-colored sedan, possibly a Dodge Charger.

The FBI said Friday that the shooting appears to have been an attempted robbery, and not an attempt on the life of Berg, a U.S. attorney who prosecuted complex fraud cases and computer, internet and intellectual property crimes before he was appointed to the federal bench by President Obama in 2012.

Also on Patch:

• Investigators Scratching Heads Over Bullets in Prisoner’s Breakfast Tray
• Canton Man: Face-Tattooed Guy Said He’d Shoot Me Over a Dog
• Harbaugh Starts Run as State Hero: Helps Women in I-94 Car Crash

Berg’s colleagues hailed him as a hero Friday for standing up against the would-be intruders.

“To those who know him, it comes as no surprise that Judge Berg risked his life to protect his family,” U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade told the Detroit Free Press. “He is a hero, and he willingly paid the price by suffering a serious gunshot wound.”

The FBI is handling the investigation in conjunction with the U.S. Marshals Service. Anyone with information may call the FBI Detroit office at (313) 965-2323, select option 0; or the U.S. Marshals at 313-234-5600.