An Avondale man will face murder charges in connection to the Rogers Park fire earlier this week that led to the death of Chicago firefighter Michael Altman.
Sheaves Slate, 27, was charged with separate counts of murder, aggravated arson and residential arson, the Chicago police announced Friday afternoon.
Slate was arrested Wednesday afternoon in the Uptown neighborhood and was being held on a warrant unrelated to the fire, according to police. An internal bulletin distributed in the Chicago Police Department identified the man as a person of interest in connection with the fire.
Public records show he has a short history of prior arrests, including one earlier this year for alleged possession of methamphetamine.
In a statement, police Superintendent Larry Snelling offered his condolences to Altman’s family and called him a hero, while also thanking first responders who came to the scene.
“Although we are proud of the tremendous work done to hold this offender accountable, we ask that the focus not be on who is responsible for Firefighter Altman’s death, but rather on his heroic life and his loved ones who will live with this grief forever,” Snelling said.
Altman, 32, died Tuesday morning, a day after he suffered critical injuries at the scene of a fire on the 1700 block of West North Shore Avenue. Altman fell through the floor into a room that was fully on fire, according to a family fundraiser.
Altman was a fourth-generation Chicago Fire Department firefighter who joined the department in May 2024.
Slate is expected to appear before a judge for a detention hearing Saturday at the Leighton Criminal Court Building at 26th Street and California Avenue.
