John Jefferson
Emonte Morgan shot and killed Police Officer Ella French during a traffic stop in August 2021 officers said. (Image of French and a 2019 booking photo of Morgan: Chicago Police Department)
The man who shot and killed Chicago Police Officer Ella French, 29, during a traffic stop was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The defendant, Emonte Morgan, 24, also received 50 years behind bars for permanently wounding French’s partner, Carlos Yañez, and seven years for unlawful use of a weapon, according to Chicago ABC affiliate WLS.
The attack ended Yañez’s career: He reportedly testified at trial to losing his right eye, and though he could now walk without help after initial paralysis, bullet fragments in his neck and shoulder were too dangerous to remove.
“I don’t think it’s justice,” he said after sentencing on Wednesday, according to WLS. “I’m not going to get closure. I’m affected for the rest of my life.”
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Prosecutors said the officers pulled over Morgan and his brother Eric Morgan during a traffic stop on Aug. 7, 2021. The defense maintained that Morgan did not intend to open fire — that the firearm instead went off when he tried to put it down. But prosecutors said that he fired multiple times and that neither officer pulled out their weapons. Detective Joshua Blas also survived the incident.
“Today, justice was served as the court sentenced Emonte Morgan to life in prison for the brutal killing of Chicago Police Officer Ella French and the grievous injury of her partner, Officer Carlos Yanez, Jr., in 2021,” Cook County prosecutors said in a statement posted online. “Officer French’s commitment to serving our city with integrity and honor will never be forgotten, and we stand with her family, friends, and the entire Chicago Police Department as they continue to mourn her loss. We would be remiss not to laud Officer Yanez for his courage and resilience throughout this ordeal which has been nothing short of inspiring. Today’s sentencing reinforces our unwavering dedication to seeking justice for all victims of violence and ensuring that those who commit such heinous crimes are held accountable.”
Morgan’s brother, Eric Morgan, was sentenced last year to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, battery and obstruction of justice in connection with French’s death. A third man, Indiana resident Jamel Danz, received two and a half years in prison for illegally purchasing the gun that was used to kill French.
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