Guardsman facing court martial in shooting has Monday hearing

FORT KNOX, Ky. -- An Indiana National Guard soldier facing court martial in the fatal shooting of an Iraqi police officer will have a hearing next week to address charges of lying to investigators, an Army spokeswoman said.\nCpl. Dustin Berg, 22, of Ferdinand, Ind., who had received a Purple Heart after being wounded in the Nov. 2003 shooting, is charged with murder. His lawyer said at a hearing in February that he shot the officer in self-defense.\nA Monday hearing at Fort Knox will address a charge of false swearing, which his attorneys did not contest in February. But the defense team reconsidered its waiver of the hearing when a military judge offered the chance recently, Fort Knox spokeswoman Connie Shaffery said.\nBerg changed his story multiple times before admitting killing the man, then shooting himself, military investigators said.\nMonday's Article 32 hearing is the military counterpart of a grand jury hearing. The outcome will determine whether the false swearing and another lesser charge will be considered with the murder charge at Berg's court martial, which has been delayed until at least July 25, the Army said.\nBerg, a member of the 1st Battalion, 152nd Infantry Regiment, also is accused of wearing an unauthorized award because he accepted a Purple Heart for his injury.\nThe soldier is performing administrative tasks at Fort Knox as he awaits trial, Shaffery said.