A suburban man is accused of assisting Alphonso Talley in a violent robbery at a dollar store in Albany Park on Saturday morning. Shortly after the incident, Talley allegedly killed a Chicago police officer and severely injured the officer’s partner by shooting them with a firearm he had concealed on his person after being arrested.
The U.S. Marshals Task Force apprehended 18-year-old Jeron Tate from Maywood on Thursday at the 7500 block of South Carpenter Street, according to Chicago police. Tate is set to attend a detention hearing in court on Friday afternoon.
Prosecutors stated that Tate and Talley entered the Family Dollar store at 3239 West Lawrence Avenue at 8:01 a.m. on Saturday, just a minute after a 55-year-old cashier opened the store. Both were dressed in black jackets, sweatshirts, and face masks. The cashier asked Tate to leave his backpack at the store’s entrance, following store policy, as explained during Talley’s detention hearing on Thursday.
As Tate placed the backpack down, Talley drew a handgun from his waistband, aimed it at the cashier, and forced her into a back office, hitting her in the face with the weapon during the encounter.
Talley held the cashier at gunpoint while Tate attempted to open the cash register and safe, according to the prosecutors. When she informed them she had no access, Talley led her around the store at gunpoint. They searched her purse, taking her wallet and car keys.
Prosecutors noted that Talley hit the woman two more times with the gun, breaking her nose and causing bleeding. He then took her back to the register, where she managed to open it. The duo stole $110 and fled on Lime scooters rented under an account linked to a Gmail address bearing Talley’s name, prosecutors revealed.
After the suspects left, the cashier activated the store’s panic button and, with the help of a customer, called the police, providing descriptions of the two men. Chicago police officers quickly found Talley near the 3400 block of North Troy Street by tracking a GPS device hidden in the store’s cash. However, Tate allegedly escaped.
Tate faces charges of armed robbery, aggravated armed kidnapping, aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, and aggravated unlawful restraint.
Officers discovered the cashier’s wallet in a garbage can near Talley and also retrieved cash from his pocket, described by prosecutors as bloodstained. They observed apparent blood on his pants and shoes as well.
The cashier received treatment at a hospital for a broken nose and two black eyes, and prosecutors indicated she will need follow-up care with a surgeon.
Talley reportedly claimed to have ingested narcotics, prompting Chicago police officers to take him to a hospital for an X-ray scan, prosecutors said. As Officer John Bartholomew uncuffed Talley from his bed rail for the procedure, Talley allegedly retrieved a firearm hidden under his blanket, shooting Bartholomew in the head and then shooting another officer in the face, according to prosecutors.
Police eventually arrested Talley after a one-hour manhunt in the 2600 block of West Carmen Avenue, where they found him hiding naked under a porch with a 10mm handgun, prosecutors noted.
Talley is charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated armed kidnapping, aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, aggravated battery by discharging a firearm, aggravated battery of a peace officer, aggravated discharge of a firearm in an occupied building, escape from a peace officer, aggravated unlawful restraint, armed robbery, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, possession of a firearm by a repeat felon, destruction of evidence, and possession of a fraudulent identification card.
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