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CPD officer killed in hospital shooting identified
The city mourning the loss of a veteran police officer. A candlelight vigil happening in Garfield Ridge to remember John Bartholomew. He and another officer were shot at a hospital. That other officer remains in critical condition. And now we have learned what it took to take the suspect into custody. Joanie Lum is live at police headquarters with the latest.
CHICAGO - Police have a man in custody for shooting two Chicago Police officers. One of the officers died, while the other is critically wounded and fighting for his life.
Chicagoans in Garfield Ridge live far from the place where two Chicago police officers were shot, but they feel the weight of the tragedy. Neighbors lit candles to pray for the officers.
Community activist Raul Montes said, "That’s somebody’s loved one. It’s just one day to the other you are gone. They’re here to serve and protect. That’s why obviously we hope there is justice."
When the shooting happened Saturday at Swedish Hospital on the North Side, patrol cars and squadrons headed to the neighborhood to help capture an armed suspect, who police said ran from the hospital after the shooting.
Neighbors were alerted.
"The intense number of police officers is what caught everybody’s eye," Alexis Hoffman, a local resident, said. "They were coming from everywhere and all of the noise and I heard helicopters at some point."
Saturday morning, two officers had transported a robbery suspect to Swedish Hospital for a medical check.
Police say the suspect got a gun and shot the officers, killing 38-year-old John Bartholomew, a 10-year veteran of the force. And critically injuring his 57-year-old partner.
The suspect took off, wearing a hospital gown. Police found the gown, a weapon, and the naked suspect hiding under a porch in the 2600 block of West Carmen.
He was taken into custody, and no shots were fired.
Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said, "These are the dangers of the job. These officers know it, yet they still go out and do it. Every day, they put on uniform don’t know if they’ll return home."
Hoffman said, "Horrifying, I know there’s danger, but you always expect to come home."
The Source: This story contains reporting from Fox Chicago's Joanie Lum.