The shootout rang on Monday afternoon local time when the inmate, who was being moved from a holding cell inside the Berrien County courthouse in St Joseph, Michigan, grabbed an officer's gun and shot at the four people, Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey said.
Retirees and labour officials acknowledged that the city's finances were in a shambles and they would have to share in the sacrifice to help Detroit recover.
Less than 24 hours after Detroit filed the largest municipal bankruptcy in US history, the two men behind the historic action -- Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr -- defended the move in an interview with Reuters.
The ruling by US Judge Steven Rhodes, who cited the city's dismal finances and $18 billion owed to a multitude of creditors in support of his decision, marks a watershed in the history of Detroit.