Officer Wounded in Hospital Shooting Moves To Rehab

Chicago Police officer Nelson Crespo was transferred to a rehabilitation facility on Thursday, May 14, after spending nearly three weeks in critical care following the April 25 shooting at Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital on the city’s North Side. Crespo was wounded in the chin during the attack that killed his partner, Officer John Bartholomew, authorities and local media reports said. His family disclosed the move as supporters gathered around a fundraising effort to help cover medical care, rehabilitation and changes needed at his home. The transfer also comes as police and hospital officials continue to review how a detainee allegedly brought a gun into the hospital. ### When did Crespo leave the hospital, and what condition is he in? Thursday’s transfer marked the first public sign that Crespo had progressed beyond intensive hospital treatment since the shooting. NBC Chicago reported that Chicago police confirmed he was moved from the hospital where he had been treated for injuries suffered in the attack. ABC7 Chicago reported earlier this week that Crespo had still been in intensive care, and his sister Nancy Crespo said doctors had seen enough improvement to move him to rehab. (nbcchicago.com) Nancy Crespo told ABC7 that he could breathe on his own for several hours at a time, but said, “It will be a miracle if he can ever walk again.” ### What happened inside Swedish Hospital on April 25? April 25 was the day prosecutors say Alphanso Talley, 26, opened fire while in police custody at Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital. Authorities said Talley had first been arrested after an armed robbery and was taken to the hospital after claiming he had swallowed drugs. Prosecutors said Talley was handcuffed to a hospital bed and was being prepared for a CT scan when an officer uncuffed him. (abc7chicago.com) ABC7 reported that Talley then allegedly reached under a blanket, pulled out a 10mm handgun and shot Bartholomew in the head and Crespo in the face or chin before fleeing. Officer John Bartholomew, 38, died from his injuries, and Crespo was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition, according to prosecutors and local reports. (chicago.suntimes.com) Bartholomew had served with the department for 10 years, ABC7 reported. ### What is the family asking the public to help pay for? A GoFundMe organized by Nancy Crespo says the officer has “limited mobility” in his arms and “no mobility” in his legs after the shooting. (nbcchicago.com) The fundraiser says he will need extensive rehabilitation and significant home modifications during what it describes as a long recovery. The fundraiser, created on May 6 in Chicago, says donations will help cover medical care, therapy and home adjustments. (cbsnews.com) NBC Chicago reported that Alderman Gilbert Villegas said he backed the fundraising effort so the family would not have to focus on bills such as a mortgage or car payments while Crespo recovers. ### Why are investigators still focused on search and security procedures? Chicago police and Endeavor Health are reviewing the shooting because investigators still have not publicly explained how the gun entered the hospital. (gofundme.com) The Chicago Sun-Times reported that police policy called for at least two searches in this scenario — one after arrest and another before transport to the hospital. CBS Chicago reported arrest records showed officers found blood-stained cash on Talley after the robbery arrest but no gun. Prosecutors have said the same weapon used in the earlier robbery was later pulled from under a blanket in the hospital. The Sun-Times reported that it remains unclear whether anyone, either Chicago officers or hospital security, patted Talley down again once he arrived at Swedish Hospital. (chicago.suntimes.com) Endeavor and police have both said they are investigating and reviewing the shooting, according to the newspaper. ### What comes next in the case and in Crespo’s recovery? (cbsnews.com) Alphanso Talley has been charged with murder, attempted murder, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated battery in the shooting, ABC7 reported. Court proceedings in that case are continuing, while a separate federal case has charged an Indiana woman with making a false statement in connection with the gun purchase, according to court documents cited by ABC7. (chicago.suntimes.com) Nancy Crespo’s fundraiser says Nelson Crespo faces rehabilitation “for the foreseeable future,” and his family has directed supporters to the GoFundMe page for updates and donations. His move on May 14 to a rehab facility gives the family a new milestone, but the next steps named publicly remain therapy, home modifications and the pending criminal case against Talley. (abc7chicago.com) (abc7chicago.com)