CHICAGO — A 26-year-old man who was being treated at a Chicago hospital following his arrest now faces murder and attempted murder charges after fatally shooting one police officer and critically injuring another over the weekend.
Alphanso Talley was set to appear in Cook County Circuit Court for the first time on Monday, prosecutors announced.
The deadly incident claimed the life of Officer John Bartholomew, 38, who had served with the Chicago Police Department for a decade. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Bartholomew died shortly before 1 p.m. on Saturday following the shooting at Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital.
The Saturday morning violence also left a second officer in critical condition. Police have not disclosed the name of the wounded officer, a 57-year-old with more than two decades of service. Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling provided an update Monday, stating the injured officer was “still fighting for his life.”
“Though this does not bring solace to this tragedy, it does bring the first step in accountability,” Snelling commented regarding the filed charges.
Prior to Monday’s court proceeding, a representative from the public defender’s office declined to provide comment since no legal counsel had been assigned to represent Talley.
The two officers had transported Talley to the medical facility for evaluation after taking him into custody on suspicion of armed robbery earlier that morning. Following the shooting, Talley escaped from the hospital — surveillance images published by the Chicago Sun-Times showed him fleeing without clothing and with medical electrodes attached to his body — before being captured less than two hours afterward.
Authorities have not disclosed how Talley obtained a firearm. Snelling revealed that investigators ultimately seized three weapons during their investigation.
“This shooting was a stark and heartbreaking reminder of the dangers our officers face all too often on this job,” Snelling stated.
In a Facebook statement, hospital officials explained that the individual in police custody had been brought to their emergency department for medical care and was “wanded upon arrival” as part of standard weapon detection procedures. The facility noted that law enforcement personnel maintained constant supervision of the suspect.
State corrections records show Talley has an extensive criminal background, including 2023 convictions for aggravated battery against a police officer and involvement with stolen vehicles, along with prior robbery and weapons-related offenses. A Cook County public defender had previously represented Talley in an earlier case.
