Midtown barricade standoff: Suspect denied bond after incident at Four Seasons building

ATLANTA — The man accused of firing dozens of shots from his condo above the Four Seasons hotel in Midtown Atlanta was denied bond when he appeared in court on Monday.

Jay Steven Berger, a 70-year-old doctor who lives in the building, caused streets to shut down on Oct. 29 while experiencing what police said was a mental health episode around 10 a.m. that morning.

Channel 2 Action News reported that one Atlanta Police Department officer was injured during the incident and at least two officers fired their weapons.

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Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said police were called to the building after Berger was involved in an altercation with a building employee. Sources told Channel 2′s Tyisha Fernandes that he pulled a gun on someone inside the hotel.

Officers tried to negotiate with Berger to get him to leave his residence on the 33rd floor, but SWAT was called when police learned Berger may have had more weapons inside.

Residents on the 32nd, 33rd and 34th floors were evacuated and Berger eventually fired what APD said were three different weapons: a handgun, shotgun and rifle. Police said he threw at least one gun over the balcony.

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After Berger surrendered to police, and was at one point shot by an Atlanta SWAT officer, he and an injured member of the police force were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital for treatment.

The injured officer was released from the hospital on Oct. 30.

Berger was charged with aggravated assault, four counts of aggravated assault against a law enforcement officer while engaged in official duty, possessing a firearm during commission of a felony and felony obstruction of law enforcement officers through threats or violence.

On Monday, Berger was in court for his first appearance and was denied bond.

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