Heroic CPD Officer Nelson Crespo’s Road to Recovery After Swedish Hospital Tragedy

CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago Police Officer Nelson Crespo remains in the intensive care unit, but doctors are optimistic as he can now breathe independently for several hours daily, according to his family.

As Officer Crespo faces a potentially lengthy recovery, his family is channeling efforts into fundraising to support him during this challenging time. The community’s backing for Crespo is unwavering.

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“He’s the kind of person who makes friends effortlessly,” said Nancy Crespo, his sister, describing him as a genuinely good-natured individual.

Nancy shared that the medical team has noted her brother’s ongoing progress.

“Although he’s still in ICU, he’s now capable of breathing on his own for up to eight hours,” she explained. “The doctor wants him to continue exercising his diaphragm, and fortunately, he’s improving daily.”

Last month, the 57-year-old officer was shot in the line of duty after escorting a robbery suspect to Swedish Hospital for an examination with his partner, CPD Officer John Bartholomew.

“Just complete shock. You don’t even, you know, there’s that there’s always that risk with law enforcement. But you just you never think about, you don’t want to think about the absolute worst-case scenario,” Nancy said.

The shooting killed Officer Bartholomew and left Officer Crespo critically injured.

“Currently, he has limited mobility in his arms and no mobility in his legs. But we are remaining hopeful,” Nancy said.

Nancy says their family is rallying around the 21-year CPD veteran, lifelong Chicagoan, and doting uncle by raising money for his medical and future expenses so he can get back behind the grill and tell jokes.

“We still don’t know what, how long it will last. We don’t know what portion insurance will cover. Long term, we may need to make modifications to his house. So, I mean, there’s still a lot of uncertainty,” Nancy said.

There is a lot of uncertainty, but also, a lot of hope. If you would like to help support Officer Crespo and his family, you can visit their GoFundMe page.