A friend of the slain officer, Alexis Stratakos, spoke about the death of Greek-American police officer John Bartholomew, who was killed in the line of duty in Chicago while escorting Talley to the hospital.

“John was an incredible person. We lost a young man unjustly; we are all in pain. We are hurt because judges had released the man who killed him seven times,” he told ANT1.

As he described, “Just as they were about to place him (the suspect) into the MRI machine, a nurse shouted ‘gun,’ and he shot our John.”

According to him, the 38-year-old officer was killed in a hospital located opposite the Church of Saint Demetrios, while his grandfather had been a priest at another church in Chicago.

“It was unfair what happened to this young man. He had a 3-year-old daughter and two more children from his wife’s previous marriage,” Stratakos added.

What happened

The incident that led to the officer’s death occurred a few days ago at a hospital in Chicago, where he was escorting Talley, who had been arrested for assaulting a store employee.

Talley, who had a serious criminal record—including assaulting a police officer, armed robbery, and car theft—had claimed he had swallowed drugs and could not breathe.

At some point, he suddenly pulled out a gun and shot both the 38-year-old Bartholomew and his 57-year-old colleague. The Greek-American officer, who had 10 years of service, died from his injuries, while his veteran colleague was critically wounded and remains hospitalized in serious condition.

After the shooting, the 26-year-old fled naked with medical electrodes still attached to his body but was apprehended a short distance from the hospital.

Tributes and funeral

According to the family’s statement, Bartholomew “will be remembered as a devoted family man whose life was defined by love, dedication, and service.”

At the same time, a wave of support has emerged across Chicago, with residents, businesses, and organizations mobilizing to provide financial and moral support to his family.

According to the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation, the 38-year-old officer was “a cheerful, kind, and enthusiastic person who willingly stepped forward for assignments” and always looked forward to returning home to his family after each shift.

His body will lie in state on Thursday, May 7, at Saint Andrew Church in Chicago, while the funeral service will take place the following day, Friday at 10:00 a.m. (local time), with burial in a private family ceremony.