Talley, 26, has racked up more than half a dozen felonies since 2017. Before he alleged murdered one Chicago police officer and gravely wounded another on Saturday, he had an arrest warrant pending for escaping from electronic monitoring. Critics are calling the system broken and in need of immediate changes.
Talley appeared in court on Monday to face a litany of felonies, including murder and attempted murder, stemming from the shooting of two CPD officers at Swedish Covenant Hospital on Saturday morning. Officer John Bartholomew died from his injuries.
"We should not be here today. This is a consequence of a failed system," said Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza.
A number of elected officials joined police union representatives and others at Talley's court hearing. Afterwards, they called for more accountability for judges who let violent criminals out on electronic monitoring.
"It should end right now, absolutely, and now hold them accountable in there. You guys need to be held accountable. I'm held accountable every single day. They're held accountable by just getting out of the car answering a call. Something needs to be done, and something needs to change today," said 41st Ward Ald. Anthony Napolitano.
Talley's arrest record includes two robberies in 2017, including one where he was charged with using a handgun.
In 2022, he pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
In 2024, he was charged with another felony after attacking a Cook County correctional officer.
In 2025, he was arrested for carjacking a woman at gunpoint.
Judge John Lyke, who handled the case, agreed to let Talley out on electronic monitoring, so he could go to college. When his monitoring device died because Talley did not charge it, Lyke issued an arrest warrant on March 11, but there is no record of anything being done to follow up.
The warrant was still active on Saturday, when Talley allegedly robbed a Family Dollar store in Albany Park, which, later that morning, led to hospital shooting that killed Officer John Bartholemew and left his partner critically wounded.
"Officer Bartholomew would be alive today if his massively repeat offender of violent crime after violent crime were behind bars where he belonged, instead of free to roam our streets and caused the mayhem that he did in a hospital," Mendoza said.
"Our attention is going nowhere until we get the change that we need, and if that means we have to clear out this building of every judge who will not listen, then I say, vote no on retention. Push them all out. Eventually, they will get the message that they are held accountable," said 15th Ward Ald. Ray Lopez.
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