Prosecutors say Alphanso Talley pulled a handgun from under a blanket while officers prepared him for a CT scan.
CHICAGO, Ill. — A 26-year-old robbery suspect was ordered held Monday on murder and attempted murder charges after prosecutors said he shot two Chicago police officers inside Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital, killing one and critically wounding another.
Alphanso Talley, of Chicago, faces 20 felony counts after the Saturday shooting that killed Officer John Bartholomew, 38, a 10-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department. A second officer, 57, remained in critical condition. The case has put new focus on prisoner custody in hospitals, the suspect’s criminal record and the unanswered question of how a gun reached a treatment room after the hospital said Talley was screened for weapons.
Police said the chain of events began around 8 a.m. Saturday with an armed robbery at a Family Dollar in the 3200 block of West Lawrence Avenue in Albany Park. Prosecutors said Talley and another person robbed the store, pistol-whipped a female employee and took cash, keys and a wallet. Officers tracked a GPS device attached to the stolen money and arrested Talley. After he told police he had swallowed drugs, two officers took him to Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital at 5140 N. California Ave. for medical care before a planned trip to jail. Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling later called the shooting “a tragic day for the Chicago Police Department.”
Inside the hospital, prosecutors said Talley was being prepared for a CT scan and had removed his clothes. A blanket was placed over him. When Bartholomew removed Talley’s handcuffs, prosecutors said, Talley reached under the blanket, pulled out a handgun and opened fire. Bartholomew was shot in the head, and the second officer was shot in the face, according to accounts given in court and by local officials. Talley then shot out a hospital window and fled, prosecutors said. He was found a short time later under a nearby porch and was taken back into custody. A 10 mm handgun recovered during the investigation matched shell casings found in the hospital room, prosecutors said.
Bartholomew was assigned to the 17th District. The second officer, whose name had not been released Monday, has served the department for 21 years. Snelling said Monday that the injured officer was still “fighting for his life.” The hospital said no patients or staff members were injured in the shooting. Endeavor Health said Talley was “wanded upon arrival” under weapon detection protocols and was escorted by law enforcement at all times. Investigators have not said how Talley got the gun into the hospital after his arrest and hospital screening.
Talley appeared Monday before Cook County Circuit Court Judge Luciano Panici Jr. in a courtroom filled with police officers, Bartholomew’s family members and elected officials. He did not answer when the judge twice asked him to confirm his name. Chicago police said the charges include first-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated battery, robbery, kidnapping, escape, attempted destruction of evidence and possession of a fraudulent ID. His public defender said she had not yet had a confidential conversation with him and asked for more time. The judge ordered Talley held in custody, and another hearing was scheduled for April 30.
A separate federal gun case was filed Monday in Indiana. Federal authorities charged Olivia Burgos with making a material false statement in the acquisition of a firearm. Prosecutors said Burgos bought a Glock pistol from a licensed dealer in Merrillville, Indiana, on May 27, 2024. The complaint said she gave false information on federal forms and told investigators she bought the gun for her boyfriend at the time, who was described as a convicted felon. The federal complaint did not identify that person as Talley. Authorities said the gun was not taken from either officer during the hospital shooting.
Court and prison records cited by officials and local reports describe Talley as a repeat felon with earlier robbery, gun and vehicle-related convictions. Records also show he was wanted on warrants tied to armed robbery and armed carjacking cases and had been on electronic monitoring before the shooting. Those details became a point of anger outside court, where police union leaders and several elected officials criticized earlier release decisions. Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 President John Catanzara said the wounded officer’s condition was “extremely grave.” Ald. Andre Vasquez said every officer knows the risk of the job, but seeing it unfold this way was painful for the city.
Signs of mourning appeared at the 17th District station after Bartholomew’s death. Purple bunting was placed at the district, blue ribbons were tied nearby and a Gold Star flag flew at half-staff. CPD Officer Carlos Yanez, who survived a serious line-of-duty shooting years earlier, said he hoped the wounded officer would recover. “I hope that he makes a miraculous recovery and is with us and stays with us,” Yanez said. Officials said funeral arrangements for Bartholomew had not been released, and police said they were not sharing his photograph until his relatives were ready.
Snelling said the charges were a first step in accountability, while stressing that they did not ease the loss. Detectives are still reviewing the robbery, hospital shooting, escape, arrest, recovered weapons and firearm history.
Talley remained in custody Monday. His next scheduled Cook County court date is April 30, while the federal firearm case tied to the suspected weapon moves separately through federal court.
Author note: Last updated April 27, 2026.