Chicago firefighters show up for hearing of man charged in Michael Altman's death
Mar 21, 2026
Chicago firefighters, clad in Chicago Fire Department T-shirts, polos and full uniforms, lined the courtroom at the Cook County Criminal Court Administration Building on Saturday, prepared to see the man charged in the murder of their colleague.Chicago firefighter Michael Altman, 32, died Tuesday af
ter he fell through a floor that collapsed during a blaze in Rogers Park.Sheaves Slate, 27, was charged with two counts of murder, one count of aggravated arson injuring a firefighter and one count of residential arson. He didn’t appear at his scheduled court hearing Saturday because he was in the hospital, Chicago police officer Jeremy Cruzado said in court.The detention hearing was postponed to Monday, when a judge will decide whether Slate should be released or remain in custody while his case is pending.Prosecutors presented their case against Slate, saying he was squatting in the apartment when he got in an argument with two other tenants and set fire to a mattress in the building.Altman was a Chicago firefighter legacy, continuing the generations-long tradition of working in the department. He was the father of one child and his wife is expecting another baby.State Comptroller Susana Mendoza and firefighters at the hearing called on Chicagoans to show up to Slate’s Monday hearing.“That’s how we support the family,” Mendoza said.Pat Cleary, president of the Chicago firefighters union, said it was encouraging to see the courtroom filled with his brethren.“As usual, we support our brothers and sisters, and we always will,” he said.Slate also has two retail theft cases pending, and he’s scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.
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