Man shot Chicago cops, killing one, after pulling gun from under blanket at Swedish Hospital, prosecutors say

Prosecutors on Monday said a convicted felon somehow took a gun into Swedish Hospital after he was arrested this weekend, then pulled it from under a blanket after he undressed and shot two Chicago cops, killing officer John Bartholomew.

Alphanso Talley, 26, of South Shore, didn't respond when Cook County Judge Luciano Panici Jr. asked his name at the start of the hearing. The courtroom was packed with members of Bartholomew's family and police supporters, including 15th Ward Ald. Ray Lopez and Chicago Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara.

Prosecutors said Talley was taken to the hospital after being arrested Saturday morning. He allegedly pistol-whipped a female employee at a Family Dollar store, then took her keys and wallet and made off with some cash around 8 a.m.

Police tracked him down using a GPS device that was attached to the stolen cash, according to prosecutors. Once in custody, Talley claimed he had swallowed drugs and was taken to the hospital.

Talley undressed while preparing for a CT scan, at which point he was given a blanket, prosecutors said. When Bartholomew took Talley's handcuffs off, Talley "reached down from underneath the blanket and pulled out a handgun,” they said.

Talley then opened fire, striking Bartholomew in his head and the other officer in the face, prosecutors said. Bartholomew, 38, was pronounced dead later Saturday. The other officer remained in critical condition at Illinois Masonic Medical Center, prosecutors said.

It wasn't immediately clear how Talley allegedly got the gun into the hospital after he was taken into custody.

Endeavor Health, the hospital system that includes Swedish Hospital, has said Talley “was wanded upon arrival” as part of its “public safety weapon detection protocols.” Endeavor said that he was escorted by law enforcement at all times, and no hospital staff or patients were injured.

Talley ultimately shot out a hospital window and ran off, according to prosecutors. A photograph obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times showed him running naked with electrodes on his chest. Prosecutors said he was found a short time later under a nearby porch.

Talley now faces a host of charges, including first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping, police said in a news release Monday morning. He was ordered detained at Monday's hearing.

Karin Talwar, Talley's assistant public defender, said she wasn't prepared to offer mitigating evidence and asked Panici for a continuance, stating that she had not been able to have a confidential conversation with her client. Panici allowed the initial hearing to continue so he could make a finding of probable cause, but agreed to set the next court date for Thursday.

Talley was ordered held at the Cook County Jail.

Sun-Times file

‘An absolutely failed system’

In a statement Monday, Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling said charging Talley "does not bring solace to this tragedy," but "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," Snelling said. "I ask that everyone continue to hold the family of our fallen officer in your hearts during this unimaginable time. We must also support and pray for our injured officer, who is still fighting for his life."

Also on Monday, federal prosecutors charged a woman with making a false statement while purchasing the 10 mm Glock pistol used in the attack.

The feds say Olivia Burgos purchased the gun used in the incident in May 2024, from Range USA in Merrillville, Indiana. She claimed on a form to be the actual purchaser and denied being addicted to illegal drugs at the time, according to the complaint.

But when interviewed by law enforcement on Saturday, Burgos allegedly said she’d been addicted to fentanyl since April 2024, and had used the drug daily since. She also acknowledged using fentanyl the day she bought the gun, the feds say.

The complaint doesn't mention Talley. He has been convicted of seven felonies in Cook County court, including four robbery convictions, court records show.

At the time of his arrest, he was wanted on warrants in armed robbery and armed carjacking cases, records show. He was also on parole for battering a police officer and possessing a stolen car, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections. Talley is due back in court Tuesday to address those warrants.

After Monday’s hearing, Catanzara and several elected officials decried a prior judge’s decision to release Talley during a pending case and demanded reforms to the electronic monitoring system.

“It's an absolutely failed system,” 41st Ward Ald. Anthony Napolitano said. “You're putting individuals on an electronic monitoring system that are repeat offenders of major crimes. Change the paradigm, find a threat level in order to put these people on monitors. Don't just give it to anybody.”

“It needs to f---ing stop,” Catanzara added.

Catazara said it was “going to take a miracle” for the surviving officer to recover from his injuries.

“It's very bad. It’s extremely critical. It's not good," Catanzara said.

Officer Carlos Yanez Jr. was shot in his face the same night his partner, Ella French, was killed nearly five years ago. Yanez said it’s heartbreaking to find another officer now in a similar position.

“When I got to the hospital, I was told that this officer's still fighting for his life," Yanez said. "And God, I hope that he makes a miraculous recovery and he's with us and stays with us. For the families, just be strong right now. I know what they're going through.”

Snelling said Saturday's shooting "was a stark and heartbreaking reminder of the dangers our officers face all too often on this job. I encourage every Chicagoan to join us in supporting our officers and their families in these difficult days ahead."

Bartholomew, the slain officer, was a 10-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department. Services haven't been announced.

Violet Miller/Sun-Times

Accused killer’s mom speaks out

Talley's mother, Tamika Nicole Vaughen, defended him during an interview with the Sun-Times, speculating about the evidence against him and detailing his long history of mental illness.

Vaughen said she’d spoken to him after his arrest, but “he said he don’t remember nothing.” She said Talley had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder when he was in elementary school and that he'd been “institutionalized.”

“He’s a mental health patient,” she said. “I do know that. No one’s putting that in the news.”

Court records over the years have referenced his mental health.

Following Talley’s first adult arrest in 2017, a pre-trial service evaluation found he had a history of mental health problems and had previously sought treatment, according to court records. Another evaluation noted also that he used drugs.

He previously lived at Lawrence Hall, a social services agency and residential treatment center near Swedish Hospital, court records show.

As Talley continued to rack up charges, he was repeatedly ordered to undergo behavioral evaluations, although the findings of those reports were not available in public court records.

“I don’t care what nobody thinks about my son,” Vaughen said. “That’s my son.”