No-cash bail blamed for Chicago officer’s killing
Chicago is mourning the loss of Police Officer John Bartholomew, who was tragically killed by Alphonso Talley, a repeat offender with a history of seven convictions. The incident has intensified criticism of the no-cash-bail policy, with Chicago Police FOP President John Catanzara Jr. and local resident Cata Truss expressing concerns that such policies allow dangerous criminals to roam free, posing a threat to public safety. Meanwhile, Mayor Brandon Johnson stands by his stance on incarceration policies.
Alphonso Talley, a 27-year-old with a nearly ten-year criminal record, is expected to face a judge on Wednesday. Authorities accuse Talley of fatally shooting Officer Bartholomew, aged 28, and seriously injuring another officer, in what one city official has described as a “broken system” that endangers the lives of police officers.
The tragic event unfolded at Swedish Hospital on Saturday, April 25, where Talley allegedly shot Officer Bartholomew. Prosecutors also claim that another officer was injured during the altercation.
Talley’s court appearance in Cook County Circuit Court on Wednesday will focus on the status of the case. His arrest occurred mere hours before the shooting, following his involvement in a suspected armed robbery at a local Family Dollar store. Authorities allege that Talley assaulted a female employee by pistol-whipping her, before stealing her wallet and keys.
Alphonso Talley faces murder charges for the alleged shooting of two police officers. (Cook County Sheriff’s Office)
Alphanso Talley was charged with murder after allegedly shooting two police officers. (Cook County Sheriff’s Office)
Immediately after his arrest, Talley allegedly told authorities he had swallowed narcotics and requested to be taken to the hospital.
While receiving medical treatment, police say Talley retrieved a gun from underneath a blanket and shot both officers before attempting to escape custody.
“He was going to attempt an escape when he pretended to swallow drugs,” prosecutors previously told the court while arguing for Talley to remain behind bars. “He knew police would take him to the hospital for his own well-being. He knew he would be uncuffed at that time. He did that to officers who simply took him to the hospital for his own well-being.”
John Bartholomew was shot and killed on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital in Chicago. (Chicago Police Department)
Following his initial court appearance, Judge D’Anthony Thedford ordered Talley to remain in custody ahead of his trial.
“It is clear to this court that you pose a threat to any person you’re around,” he said. “If you’re out — you’re dangerous. I cannot trust that you will follow any orders that this court gives. No conditions that I can propose can keep the community safe from you.”
The alleged shooting comes as the latest in a long line of violent crimes involving Talley spanning the past nine years, according to Illinois Department of Corrections records.
Chicago police officers stand outside a hospital in Chicago awaiting updates on two officers shot during a prisoner transport incident at Swedish Hospital on April 25, 2026. A suspect was taken into custody after a brief manhunt in the neighborhood. (Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)
His rap sheet includes a conviction for four counts of aggravated robbery with a firearm in 2017, unlawful use or possession of a firearm by a felon with a prior conviction in 2021, battery on a peace officer in 2023 and possession/aiding and abetting a stolen motor vehicle.
At the time of the alleged shooting, Talley had been released from custody under the Illinois SAFE-T Act, which established cashless bail in 2021.
“As city workers, you see the reasons that lead to this shooting,” Chicago alderman Anthony Napolitano told Fox News Digital. “And this neighborhood and myself have pointed it out for years.”
According to Napolitano, the city’s “weak” judicial system coupled with the SAFE-T Act puts both law enforcement and Chicago’s residents at risk.
“It’s a joke of a system,” Napolitano said. “It’s flawed and it’s broken.”
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Talley was also wearing an ankle bracelet at the time of the alleged robbery and shooting, leading city officials to question Cook County’s electronic monitoring program.
“[Officials] don’t know where the [electronic monitored felons] are or how to attest for them or how to get in contact with them. They’re basically on the run,” Napolitano said. “We should know as residents of the city, what is the threat level setup that you as a judge are allowing these people to go on an electronic monitoring system?”
Napolitano also pointed to the city’s relaxed bail system creating a culture of frustration and low morale among police officers.
“With [officials] pushing this ‘catch-and-release’ SAFE-T Act, you’ve got coppers that are two, three, four generations of Chicago police officers that couldn’t wait to be a police officer, [and have] pride to put that uniform on and protect what we believe is the greatest city in the country by proactively going after crime,” Napolitano told Fox News Digital.
“And then to find out that when you’re working your butt off, and almost dying on a regular basis because people are emboldened and they’re not afraid of shooting or killing the police anymore,” he added.
From 2021 to 2024, more than 170 Chicago Police Department officers had been shot or shot at in the line of duty, including two fatally, according to data released by officials.
Napolitano stresses that the amount of violence against officers has taken a toll on the department, while citing the influx of memorial ribbons scattered throughout Chicago’s neighborhoods in remembrance of each fallen officer.
“We’re losing them at an alarming rate on a regular basis,” Napolitano said. “And those f——- ribbons do not come off the poles now, because we keep losing our officers.”
ABC 7 reported that in December, Judge John Lyke — who had presided over Talley’s criminal cases for at least three years — said Talley’s “mind is finally developing” and that he “may be on the path to making better decisions” before releasing him from custody in a separate case with only an ankle monitor.
Authorities subsequently issued a warrant for his arrest on March 11 while he was on pretrial release for the alleged armed robbery after he had two electronic monitor violations in early March, according to court documents.
Talley is charged with 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.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Cook County prosecutor’s office and the public defender’s office for comment.
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