Two Chicago police officers were shot at Swedish Hospital on Saturday after an arrest, leaving one dead and another in critical condition fighting for his life.
After being arrested for allegedly robbing a dollar store on Saturday morning, Alphanso Talley allegedly told police he had swallowed some drugs, so officers took him to Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital in the Lincoln Square neighborhood to get checked out.
Talley allegedly was able to hide a gun up until a CT scan was about to be performed. That’s when Talley allegedly pulled the pistol — illegally bought in an Indiana straw purchase — out from under a blanket, shooting one officer in the face and a second in the chin.
Prosecutors have charged the 26-year-old Talley with murder, attempted murder and escaping from police, among other charges. He also had three warrants outstanding for his arrest, according to police.
It was the first multiple shooting of Chicago police officers since the 2021 killing of Officer Ella French and the severe wounding of her partner, Carlos Yanez.
Visitation and funeral services for slain Chicago police Officer John Bartholomew are set for next Thursday, May 7, and Friday, May 8, at St. Andrews Greek Orthodox Church in the Edgewater neighborhood.
Here’s what to know about the shooting and what’s next.
What happened?
After being arrested for allegedly robbing a dollar store on Saturday morning, Talley allegedly told police he had swallowed some drugs, so officers took him to the hospital to get checked out.
What unfolded next was an act of violence that left one Chicago police officer dead and a second fighting for his life, authorities said Monday. Talley allegedly was able to hide a gun until a CT scan was about to be performed. That’s when Talley allegedly pulled the pistol — illegally bought in an Indiana straw purchase — out from under a blanket, shooting one officer in the face and a second in the chin. Bartholomew’s partner was left in critical condition.
What to know about Chicago police Officer John Bartholomew
A knack for public service was one of Chicago police Officer John Bartholomew’s defining qualities, friends and neighbors recalled Sunday. Bartholomew, 38, had been with the Chicago Police Department for a decade.
Richard Hudock said he grew up on the same Morton Grove street as the Bartholomew family and became lifelong friends with John and his brother, Jim. The three boys spent their childhood playing video games together, and though they have grown and taken on a plethora of adult responsibilities, it’s a hobby they have never given up, he said.
The last time Hudock said he spoke to Bartholomew, on April 22, they planned a trip to Galloping Ghost Arcade in Brookfield for May.
“It’s so sudden he’s gone now,” he said through tears. “And now I’m just never gonna see him again.”
What to know about the alleged shooter
The last time Alphanso Talley came before Judge John Lyke, things seemed to be going well.
Talley was on electronic monitoring after being paroled in January from the Illinois Department of Corrections, where he’d been serving sentences for aggravated battery to a police officer and possession of a stolen vehicle. He also had a pair of cases pending for alleged carjacking and armed robbery, records show.
“Good morning, Mr. Talley,” Lyke said, according to a court transcript of a Feb. 19 hearing. “You’re looking good.”
The assistant state’s attorney on the case said there had been some “issues” with Talley violating the terms of his electronic monitoring, but as of Feb. 19, “it does seem that Mr. Talley has been starting to comply with curfew.”
That day in court, the prosecutors, defense attorney and judge agreed to modify the terms of Talley’s monitoring to allow for a dentist appointment. The assistant state’s attorney asked that Talley be warned that “if something happens, we will be bringing a motion.”
Lyke reminded Talley that he needed to follow the instructions of the pretrial monitoring officials, and keep in touch with his attorney. Then the judge sent him on his way: “All right, Mr. Talley, be well. Take care of yourself. Don’t get in no trouble.”
But a little more than two months later, as it turned out, Talley would be charged in the shooting of a pair of Chicago police officers, including one who was hit in the head and killed. It’s a crime that has brought renewed attention to when defendants should be released on electronic monitoring before trial and what should happen if they skip out on court proceedings.
Cook County’s electronic-monitoring system
The shooting has cast new light on a set of old questions about how to safely monitor those awaiting trial while on electronic monitoring.
Arrest warrants for a defendant’s failure to appear are extremely common in the court system and often go unexecuted for months at a time. In a statement, the Cook County sheriff’s office said it did not receive a request for assistance with Talley’s failure to appear warrant.
How is the case playing out in court?
On Thursday, Cook County Judge D’Anthony Thedford ordered Talley held pending trial for dozens of charges connected to an alleged armed robbery at an Albany Park Dollar Store and the subsequent homicide of Officer John Bartholomew and shooting of Bartholomew’s colleague.
“It is clear that you pose a real and present threat to any person you are around,” Thedford told Talley. “If you are out, you are dangerous.”
Thursday’s hearing was the most detailed account so far of the shooting that killed Bartholomew and left his partner in critical condition.
What’s next?
The second Chicago police officer shot remains in critical condition.
Meanwhile, an Indiana woman will remain in jail amid allegations she lied to buy the Glock 29 handgun that authorities say was later used in the shooting of the two Chicago police officers.
Olivia Burgos, 23, is charged with making a material false statement in the acquisition of a firearm.
Her next hearing is May 28 in the U.S. District Court in Hammond.
