27/04/2026
A 26-year-old man, Alphanso Talley, is accused of killing a Chicago police officer and critically injuring another officer inside Swedish Covenant Hospital on Saturday morning.
According to police, Talley had been arrested earlier around 8:20 a.m. for a violent armed robbery at a Family Dollar store in the Albany Park area. After his arrest, he complained of a medical issue, prompting officers to take him to the hospital for treatment.
While being guarded by two officers at the hospital around 10:50 a.m., Talley somehow obtained a firearm. Authorities say he used the weapon to shoot both officers. Officer John Bartholomew, a 38-year-old 10-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, was killed. His partner, a 57-year-old officer with over two decades on the force, was left in critical condition.
Talley then fled the hospital but was captured shortly after noon in a nearby area. Police recovered a firearm believed to have been used in the shooting.
Investigators say it is still unclear how Talley obtained the weapon inside the hospital, especially since officials stated he had been screened with a metal detector and was under constant police supervision.
At the time of the incident, Talley was already wanted for failing to appear in court on pending armed carjacking and armed robbery charges. He was also listed as a parole absconder and had removed or stopped complying with his electronic monitoring device.
Authorities say Talley has a long criminal history, including multiple armed robbery convictions and prior arrests involving fi****ms, stolen vehicles, and assaults. Despite this, he had been released multiple times on electronic monitoring while awaiting trial in other cases.
He is now facing multiple serious charges, including first-degree murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon. A detention hearing is expected at the 26th Street courthouse on Monday, where prosecutors will present evidence related to the case.
