Additional Coverage:
- Chicago officer killed at hospital by suspect who was free on pretrial release, prosecutors allege (foxnews.com)
A man out on pretrial release in a separate criminal case allegedly opened fire at a Chicago hospital on Saturday, killing one police officer and wounding another, according to prosecutors.
Alphanso Talley, 27, was charged Monday in connection with the fatal shooting of 38-year-old Chicago Police Department officer John Bartholomew at Swedish Hospital. Another officer was also injured during the incident.
Authorities say the shooting occurred around 11 a.m. while Talley was at the hospital. He had been brought there for a previous armed robbery charge and was being transported to a CT scan when he reportedly revealed a gun concealed under a blanket and opened fire on the officers.
Following the shooting, Talley fled but was soon located hiding beneath a nearby porch, still wearing his hospital gown and allegedly in possession of a 10mm handgun. Shell casings recovered at the scene matched the weapon found with Talley.
He now faces multiple charges, including murder, attempted murder, aggravated unlawful restraint, armed robbery, aggravated discharge of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a felon, aggravated battery of a peace officer, aggravated battery, escape, and unlawful use of a weapon.
Talley’s criminal history includes a 2021 gun-related conviction and four aggravated robbery convictions from 2017, which prosecutors say qualify him as a repeat offender for unlawful weapon possession.
At the time of the shooting, Talley was out on pretrial release for an armed robbery case. A warrant for his arrest had been issued on March 11.
During a court hearing Monday, Talley was ordered to be held without bail and was taken into custody at the Cook County Department of Corrections.
John Catanzara, president of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police, addressed the incident in a news conference, calling it a wake-up call for Illinois lawmakers. He criticized the state’s SAFE-T Act and judicial decisions that he said have allowed dangerous individuals to remain free.
Catanzara urged the media and public to maintain pressure on officials, stating, “Without pressure from the media, nothing changes… It needs to f—— stop. It just does.”
The investigation into the shooting continues as the community mourns the loss of Officer Bartholomew and supports the injured officer.