Chicago Police Officer John Bartholomew funeral: City to mourn loss of CPD veteran

Name: Visitation held for fallen Chicago police officer John Bartholomew
Uploaded: 2026-05-08T06:00:26-05:00
Description: A visitation was held Thursday for fallen CPD officer John Bartholomew, as family, friends and fellow officers gathered to pay their respects.

CHICAGO - Chicago police officer John Bartholomew will be laid to rest today, nearly two weeks after he was shot and killed in the line of duty.

The funeral service is scheduled for 10 a.m. at St. Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Church and will be streamed in the media player at the top of this story.

Bartholomew had served with CPD for 10 years and is survived by his wife and three children. Family, friends and fellow officers gathered to pay their respects to Bartholomew during a visitation on Thursday.

Visitation held for fallen Chicago police officer John Bartholomew

A visitation was held Thursday for fallen CPD officer John Bartholomew, as family, friends and fellow officers gathered to pay their respects.

Bartholomew, 38, and his partner, Ofc. Nelson Crespo were both shot at Swedish Hospital on Chicago’s North Side on April 25 after they had taken an armed robbery suspect into custody earlier that morning.

Chicago Police Ofc. John Bartholomew funeral

The backstory:

The suspect, Alphanso Talley, has been charged with murder and attempted murder in connection with the shooting of the two officers. Crespo was in critical condition as a result of the shooting.

Many questions still remain about how Talley allegedly got a gun into the hospital after being arrested and searched.

While the shooting has sparked political outrage surrounding the legal machinations that allowed Talley to be out of jail while being prosecuted for previous alleged violent crimes, city officials are also mourning the loss of another police officer in just the past few years.

"As we prepare to lay our fallen hero to rest, we ask that the city continue to pray for Officer Bartholomew's family," said CPD Supt. Larry Snelling in a statement this week. "We will ensure his legacy and the sacrifice he made to keep the people of Chicago safe will never be forgotten."