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A Chicago alderman is calling for amendments to the state’s no-cash bail law, citing its “utter misuse” after a tragic incident where a felon on pretrial release allegedly murdered a police officer inside a hospital.
On Monday, charges were filed against 27-year-old Alphanso Talley, following accusations that he fatally shot 38-year-old Chicago Police Officer John Bartholomew at Swedish Hospital. The incident also resulted in another officer being wounded in the gunfire.
The shooting reportedly occurred around 11 a.m. at the hospital. Authorities stated Talley was in custody for a prior armed robbery. During his transport for a CT scan, prosecutors allege he concealed a gun under his blanket, which he then used to shoot both officers.
Earlier that day, Talley was allegedly involved in an armed robbery at a Family Dollar store, where he is accused of assaulting a female employee with a pistol, stealing her wallet and keys.
Officer John Bartholomew was tragically killed in the line of duty on Saturday at Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital. (Chicago Police Department)
Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez, a Democrat, told Fox News Digital that the SAFE-T act, the law that eliminated cash bail in Illinois, needs to be overhauled after Saturday’s shooting, which was allegedly committed by someone who was on pretrial release.
“It absolutely needs to be amended because I think while the intention was good, not forcing people to sit in jail because they couldn’t afford bond on minor crimes, it has been utterly manipulated and abused by dangerous violent repeat offenders who have no regard for the sanctity of human life, no regard for property, and no intention of ever following the law,” Lopez said.
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)
Prosecutors say Talley’s prior gun conviction from 2021 and four aggravated robbery convictions from 2017 make him eligible for a charge of unlawful possession of a weapon by a repeat offender.
Alphanso Talley was charged with murder after allegedly shooting two police officers. (Cook County Sheriff’s Office)
When Talley was accused of murdering Bartholomew and shooting another officer, 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.
Lopez said people like Talley don’t deserve to get pretrial release, arguing he should have remained locked up until his trial.
“Those individuals do not deserve to enjoy any kind of sympathy from us, the law-abiding citizens of Illinois, after they commit their fourth, fifth, eighth, twelfth, seventieth crimes, because what they’ve already shown us is a willingness to continue the pattern of illegal criminal violent behavior,” Lopez said.
Chicago police officers stand outside a nearby hospital awaiting updates on two fellow officers who were shot during a prisoner transport incident at Swedish Hospital in Chicago, United States, on April 25, 2026. A suspect was taken into custody following a brief manhunt in the surrounding neighborhood. (Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Part of the issue, Lopez argues, is that judges aren’t correctly using someone’s criminal history when making a determination on if someone should remain in jail until their trial.
“Judges are not seeing the full breadth and scope of what’s going on in someone’s criminal history — or they’re not allowed to use that in making their determination. And that is what is allowing these individuals who oftentimes have multiple arrests to go and get electronic monitoring and be sent home,” he said.
Retired Chicago Police Chief of Detectives Eugene Roy told Fox News Digital that this incident is a glaring example showing why Illinois’ no-cash bail law needs to be changed, and how the system failed Bartholomew.
“Here’s a guy who’s accused of a violent crime and armed robbery and he’s allowed back out on the streets and then he cuts off his electronic monitoring device. And that is a deliberate act that calls for revocation of the bond,” Roy said.
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.