A judge could decide Wednesday if a man accused of shooting and killing Chicago police Officer John Bartholomew and critically wounding his partner is fit to represent himself at trial
Last week, Alphanso Talley, 26, asked a judge if he could act as his own representation. He appeared in court for a fitness hearing Wednesday
Talley is accused of shooting and killing Bartholomew at Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital in Chicago’s Lincoln Square community on Saturday, April 25
Prosecutors said that day, Talley pistol-whipped a 55-year-old cashier at a Family Dollar store, robbing her at gunpoint with a co-conspirator before fleeing on a scooter. The $110 prosecutors say they took from the register had GPS technology that led police straight to Talley
Police took him into custody, and he claimed to have ingested five bags of drugs earlier that day, prompting officers to take him to Swedish Hospital
Court documents revealed Talley had told officers the same thing during a prior arrest, and no drugs were ever found
Bartholomew and his partner escorted Talley to Swedish Hospital, where prosecutors said he was handcuffed to a hospital bed. Talley removed his pants, but was given a gown and a blanket to wear during a CT scan
When one of the officers uncuffed Talley for the scan, prosecutors said Talley pulled out the same gun he’d used in the earlier armed robbery, shooting Bartholomew in the head and shooting Bartholomew’s partner in the chin before fleeing the hospital using an ID badge he took from a hospital employee
Talley was seen running naked, holding a hospital gown. He was found a short time later under a porch nearby, still nude with his hospital gown and a 10mm handgun
After the shooting, Bartholomew and his partner were taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where Bartholomew was pronounced dead. His partner remained hospitalized on Thursday, but his condition has improved, and he has been up and alert, and able to respond to questions using body cues
Talley was on electronic monitoring with an ankle bracelet at the time of the incidents, and he is accused of cutting off his ankle monitor before killing Bartholomew. He had already previously broken the rules of his electronic monitoring
The chain of events has amplified questions about Cook County’s electronic monitoring program
Following the shooting, Talley was ordered to remain in jail as he awaits trial
Talley pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and numerous other charges last month
