The suspect accused of killing a Chicago police officer has been ordered returned to custody in a carjacking case
No bail is suspected in the murder of a Chicago police officer
Chicago police officer John Bartholomew has been placed in his final cell after being brutally murdered by Alphonso Talley, an ex-convict with seven previous convictions. John Catanzara Jr., President of the Chicago Police FOP, and Chicago resident Cata Truss criticized the no-bail law for allowing violent offenders to stay on the streets, endangering public safety. Mayor Brandon Johnson defends his views on the arrest.
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The suspect who killed a Chicago police officer was returned to custody Tuesday in a separate carjacking case, after the same judge was criticized for acquitting a convicted felon seven times before the alleged murder.
Alphanso Talley, 27, appeared in court on Tuesday for a hearing on allegations of violating the conditions of his release stemming from the 2025 armed robbery and carjacking case.
Talley appeared in a green prison jumpsuit and chains as Cook County Circuit Court Judge John Lyke Jr. granting prosecutors’ request to formally revoke his pretrial release in the carjacking case.
The case drew national scrutiny after Talley allegedly shot and killed a Chicago police officer and wounded another while free on electronic surveillance — a decision Lyke made before his trial.
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Alphonso Talley has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting two police officers. (Cook County Sheriff’s Office)
Court documents obtained by Fox News show that Lyke referred to Illinois’ SAFE-T Act — the 2021 law that eliminated cash bail — when making the decision to release Talley, who has been convicted seven times.
“He probably would have gotten a $1 million bail, and he would have needed $100,000 to get out,” Lyke told the court. “Our honorable Legislature is saying, ‘No, we’re not going to do that again. We’re going to have the judges look into it.’
Authorities say Talley was not identified on electronic surveillance when he shot police officer John Bartholomew, 28, and seriously wounded another officer at a Swedish hospital on Saturday, April 25.
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John Bartholomew was shot and killed on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital in Chicago. (Chicago Police Department)
Talley was arrested hours before the shooting in the suspected robbery of a nearby Family Dollar, officials previously said. In that incident, he is accused of pistol-whipping a female employee before leaving with her keys and wallet.
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After being taken into custody, Talley allegedly told the police that he had ingested drugs and asked to be taken to the hospital.
While he was being treated, police said Talley pulled a gun from under his clothes and shot both officers before trying to escape from custody.
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Police officers line up for the funeral service of Officer John Bartholomew. (WFLD)
“He was going to try to escape when he pretended to take drugs,” prosecutors told the court earlier when they asked Talley to remain in custody in his murder case. “He knew that the police would take him to the hospital so that he could recover. He knew that he would be arrested at that time. He did that to the police and they took him to the hospital to recover.”
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He was arrested and charged with murder, attempted murder, kidnapping with brutality and armed robbery.
The judge who presided over his previous murder case ordered Talley to be held in custody ahead of his trial.
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Chicago police officers stand outside a hospital in Chicago waiting for information about two officers who were shot during a prisoner transport incident at Swedish Hospital on April 25, 2026. The suspect was taken into custody after a short search in the area. (Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“It is clear to this court that you are a danger to anyone around you,” said Judge D’Anthony Thedford. “If you are out – you are dangerous. I do not trust that you will follow any orders issued by this court. There are no conditions that I can propose that will keep the public safe from you.”
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At the time of the alleged shooting, Talley had multiple arrests and felony convictions over the past nine years, according to Illinois Department of Corrections records.
His rap sheet includes convictions for four counts of aggravated robbery with a firearm in 2017, unlawful use or possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon in 2021, battery on a police officer in 2023 and possession/aiding and abetting a stolen vehicle.
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He is scheduled to return to court Wednesday for a hearing on charges related to the alleged shooting, and his next court date for carjacking and armed robbery has been set for July 15.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Talley’s attorney and the Cook County District Attorney’s Office for comment.
