On May 24, 1990, Cherney and his friend, fellow activist Judi Bari, were injured when a pipe bomb exploded in his car. Both were severely injured by the explosion. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which accused Cherney of bombing themselves. He later sued the FBI and was later awarded $4.4 million dollars. Bari died from her injuries. In 2012, Cherney's documentary movie "Who Bombed Judi Bari?" was released.