NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A sea of police officers paid tribute to a fallen Chicago cop allegedly killed by a man with a decade-long criminal record who was free on pretrial release at the time of the shooting.
About 2,000 police officers, elected officials and law enforcement gathered Friday for the funeral of Chicago Police Department Officer John Bartholomew, who was allegedly killed by Alphanso Talley, 26, a man free on pretrial release at the time of the April 25 shooting.
Bartholomew’s partner, Officer Nelson Crespo, was also allegedly shot by Talley at Swedish Hospital on Chicago’s North Side.
When Talley was accused of murdering Bartholomew, he was out of jail on pretrial release for a previous armed robbery case. A warrant for his arrest was issued 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.
Police officers stand in formation during a funeral. (WFLD)
Judge John Lyke, who presided over Talley’s criminal cases for at least three years, noted during a December hearing, “It appears [Talley’s] mind is finally developing, and he may be on the path to making better decisions,” according to ABC7 News. Those records indicated that Talley first got an electronic monitor on Dec. 11, 2025, but his monitor alerted two violations within three days in early March.
FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X
John Bartholomew was shot and killed at Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital. (Chicago Police Department)
“To the children — your father was a hero. His legacy will live on,” Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling said at the funeral. “As John is to be laid to rest, the only thing that I would like to see laid to rest alongside John is violence. Those who go out and do harm to others. Those who take and destroy lives.”
SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER
Bartholomew, who was with the Chicago Police Department for 10 years, is survived by his wife and three children.
James Bartholomew said at the funeral that his brother had a “heart of gold.”
WATCH: No-cash bail blamed for Chicago officer’s killing
SLAIN STUDENT’S GRIEVING DAD VOWS ACTION AFTER REPEAT OFFENDER ALLEGEDLY MURDERED DAUGHTER
“If you worked with him, if you talked to him, if you laughed with him, if you walked with him, you are feeling what I’m feeling right now. It’s as if an angel has left the earth. If you knew him, you knew his heart was full. His heart was pure,” he said.
Bartholomew’s death sparked outrage by people who say the state’s cashless bail law is to blame for Talley’s pretrial release from jail.
LISTEN TO THE NEW ‘CRIME & JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO’ PODCAST
Alphanso Talley was charged with murder after allegedly shooting two police officers. (Cook County Sheriff’s Office)
Alphanso Talley’s prior convictions (Illinois Department of Corrections records):
- Possession/aiding and abetting a stolen motor vehicle (entered prison: Oct. 2, 2023)
- Aggravated battery of a peace officer (entered prison: Oct. 2, 2023)
- Unlawful use or possession of a firearm by a felon with a prior conviction (entered prison: July 19, 2021)
- Aggravated robbery — indicating while armed with a firearm (entered prison: Nov. 1, 2017)
- Aggravated robbery — indicating while armed with a firearm (entered prison: Nov. 1, 2017)
- Aggravated robbery — indicating while armed with a firearm (entered prison: Nov. 1, 2017)
- Aggravated robbery — indicating while armed with a firearm (entered prison: Nov. 1, 2017)
CHICAGO TRAIN FIRE ATTACK SHOWS WHY ‘DECARCERATION’ POLICIES ARE PUTTING LIVES AT RISK: EXPERT
“The SAFE-T Act, let’s be frank, the SAFE-T Act here is geared towards this national movement in America towards de-carceration. We’re seeing it everywhere in the big blue cities and at the state level as in Illinois,” former NYPD investigator Paul Mauro told Fox News.
“And the idea is just that locking bad guys up isn’t a good idea. It only creates more and deeper bad guys, and so we shouldn’t be doing it. And, quite frankly, that calculus essentially admits that innocents are going to be hurt, but that is a price to pay.”
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? FIND MORE ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB
Police officers stand in formation during a funeral service. (WFLD)
Talley allegedly shot both officers around 11 a.m. April 25 at the hospital, where officials said he was taken into custody for a previous armed robbery. While he was being taken for a CT scan, prosecutors said he had a gun underneath his blanket, which he pulled out and then shot both officers.
He was wanted after allegedly robbing a Family Dollar store and pistol-whipping a female employee, taking her wallet and keys.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Talley was 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’ Patrick McGovern and Philip Bodinet contributed to this report.