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Man Accused of Killing Chicago Officer in Hospital Shooting Appears in Court

The case spotlights lapses in Cook County’s electronic monitoring oversight that officials say left a defendant with a violent record unsupervised.

Overview

  • Prosecutors say Alphanso Talley, taken to Swedish Hospital after an arrest, pulled a gun during medical scan prep Saturday and shot two Chicago police officers before fleeing.
  • Officer John Bartholomew died at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, and his partner remains in critical condition, according to officials.
  • Talley appeared in court Monday to face murder and attempted murder charges and is in custody following the shooting inside Swedish Hospital.
  • Court records show a judge released Talley to electronic monitoring in December, later allowing college leave, and he then missed court, broke curfew, and let his ankle monitor die; a March 11 warrant followed with little documented follow-up, and police encountered him Saturday after an alleged Family Dollar robbery, not the warrant.
  • Records reviewed by CWB Chicago indicate promised reforms under Chief Judge Charles Beach to flag major monitoring violations within 24 hours and fast-track warrants did not trigger in Talley’s case, fueling public calls from elected officials and police union leaders to tighten release decisions and enforcement.