Man charged with murder in fire that led to death of Chicago firefighter Michael Altman

A man has been charged with murder and arson in connection with the fire Monday in Rogers Park that resulted in a firefighter’s death.

Sheaves Slate, 27, faces two counts of murder, one count of aggravated arson injuring a firefighter and one count of residential arson. He was arrested on an unrelated arrest warrant Wednesday at Thorek Memorial Hospital, according to police records obtained by the Sun-Times.

Slate, of Avondale, is expected to appear in court Saturday.

Firefighter Michael Altman was battling a fire late Monday morning in a four-flat apartment building in the 1700 block of West North Shore Avenue. Altman fell from the first floor into the basement when the floor collapsed and suffered burns to 90% of his body, according to fire officials and a police report.

Altman, 32, was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead Tuesday morning, officials said. His exact cause of death was still pending as of Friday, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Slate has been arrested at least three times since July 2025, according to Cook County court records. In October, he was placed under court supervision for a year after pleading guilty to retail theft.

The warrant was issued in January after he failed to appear in court to face charges of retail theft and possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. He previously had the same list of charges dropped in another case, records show.

Altman, who served on Truck 47 in Edgewater, came from a storied Chicago Fire Department family. His father was a battalion chief, and his grandfather ran the department under Mayor Richard M. Daley.

When announcing the charges Friday afternoon against Slate, Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling said the department’s “deepest condolences” are with Altman’s family.

“The loss of Firefighter Altman, who was a hero until the very end, is a profound loss for those who knew him and our entire city,” Snelling said in a statement. “We will stand alongside our brothers and sisters at CFD as they carry on the legacy of a beloved father, husband, son and brother.”

After Altman’s death, Mayor Brandon Johnson said the city “not only lost a public servant, but we lost a hero.”

Johnson joined Fire Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt and other officials outside Stroger Hospital before a procession took Altman to the medical examiner’s office Tuesday.

“Let this be a constant reminder of how important it is that we continue to put our arms around our first responders and continue to support them,” the mayor said.

A visitation and funeral services for Altman are planned for next week at St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel on the Southwest Side.