Court hearing details what led to Chicago hospital shooting that killed CPD Officer John Bartholomew

A man is charged with murder and attempted murder in the Swedish Hospital shooting that killed one Chicago police officer and critically injured another over the weekend.

Officer John Bartholomew, 38, a 10-year veteran of the department assigned to the Albany Park (17th) District, was killed.  The second officer remains in critical condition on Monday. 

Alphanso Talley, 26, of Chicago, is charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder. He also faces felony charges of attempted armed kidnapping, aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, aggravated battery with discharge of a weapon, aggravated battery of a peace officer, aggravated discharge of a firearm in an occupied building, escape from a peace officer, armed robbery, unauthorized possession of a weapon by a felon, possession of a firearm by a repeat felon, obstruction of justice, possession of a fraudulent ID card and three issuances of a warrant.

Talley was ordered detained in his initial appearance in Cook County Criminal Court on Monday. The courtroom was packed with officers, elected officials, and union members there to support the police. Bartholomew's wife walked arm-in-arm with Chicago police officers as she headed into the hearing.

Talley was escorted by multiple deputies into court but refused to answer questions.

Prosecutors laid out a timeline that began around 8 a.m., when they said Talley and an unknown second person went to a Family Dollar in Albany Park in the 3200 block of W. Lawrence Ave. for an armed robbery. There, prosecutors said they pistol-whipped an employee, robbed the store of cash, and stole the worker's wallet and keys. Surveillance video shows two people arriving on scooters, and moments later, they are seen leaving before police arrive.

Investigators said officers were able to use a GPS device on the stolen items to help them track Talley down. They took him into custody, and he told police he had swallowed narcotics, so police called an ambulance, and Talley was taken to Swedish Hospital, according to prosecutors.

Talley remained under police guard as he was seen at the hospital and taken to a room to receive a CT scan. His clothes were removed, but a blanket was kept over him, prosecutors said in court. Prosecutors said his handcuffs were removed for the scan, which is when Talley reached under the blanket, pulled out a gun, and shot at officers. 

Bartholomew was killed. A second officer, 57 years old and a 21-year veteran of the force, remained in critical condition Monday morning at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara said the second officer's condition remains extremely grave, saying "it's going to take a miracle" for him to survive.

Talley then fled, shooting out a window of the hospital as he did, according to prosecutors. He was found a short time later under a porch nearby, still nude with his hospital gown and a 10mm handgun, prosecutors said.

An Indiana woman has been arrested on federal charges in connection to the purchase of the gun police say was used in the shooting. 

Local politicians pointed to Talley's lengthy criminal history going back to at least 2017, full of felonies and an active warrant, all while he had intermittently been on electronic monitoring. Ald. Anthony Napolitano (41st Ward) called it a "failed system," while 15th Ward Ald. Raymond Lopez claimed, "the innocent victims on the street are going to be the ones who are…targeted."

"I know what they're going through. I just … gotta pray," officer Carlos Yanez Jr. said.

Yanez was critically hurt in the August 2021 shooting that claimed the life of his partner, Ella French.

"You all prayed for me, so please pray for the families," he said.  

In a statement on Monday on the charges, police Supt. Larry Snelling said in part: "Though this does not bring solace to this tragedy, it does bring the first step in accountability. I want to thank every officer who quickly responded to take this offender into custody and every detective who worked tirelessly during this investigation to secure charges."

The charges filed Monday morning are a combination of those for the police shooting at the hospital and for the earlier armed robbery.

Questions remain about how he got a gun into the restricted area of the hospital emergency room.

"Wherever he had that gun hidden on his body, and all indications is he had it down his back side, that wand would have picked it up," said former Chicago police First Deputy Supt. Anthony Riccio. "The first thing that occurred to me is clearly somebody missed the gun."

Swedish Hospital issued a statement saying Talley was escorted by law enforcement at all times and was wanded upon entering the facility.

He is due back in court on Tuesday morning for another hearing on some of his prior charges.

Officer Bartholomew was remembered on Sunday by clergy at St. Andrew's Greek Orthodox Church. They plan to hold a prayer service for him in the coming days.

A procession for the officer was held on Monday as his body was transported from the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office to the Nelson Funeral Home in Park Ridge. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.