A jury found Emonte Morgan guilty of murder Tuesday evening in the killing of Chicago Police Officer Ella French, who was shot during a traffic stop in the Englewood neighborhood in 2021. The jury returned the verdict in just a few hours after it began deliberations Tuesday. The prosecution rested their case earlier in the day, and the defense opted not to call any witnesses. They instead rested their case in the afternoon and went ahead with their closing arguments. Morgan, 23, was indicted on 85 counts of what was described as a serious indictment. He was charged with murder, attempted murder, and a slew of other serious felonies. Prosecutors presented the case that Morgan shot and killed Officer French, while also wounding her partner, Officer Carlos Yanez, and firing at another officer, Joshua Blas, who was present at the time of the incident. The case received widespread attention due to the circumstances and its community impact.
Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx said "While this is a victory, it is very difficult to feel just – because
justice would be Ella French being able to be with her family and
continuing to serve the people of Cook County," said Foxx. "Justice
would be Officer Yanez being able to walk with the same abilities that
he had before."
"Finally, we get a little justice for Ella, Carlos, and Josh," added Chicago Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara, who spoke shortly before Foxx. "I'd like to thank the Cook County State's Attorney and assistant state's attorneys for their hard work and putting this case together and making sure that every hypothetical, made-up defense was covered, and we could move on and kind of focus on life after this now."
But Morgan's mother, Evalena Flores, She maintained her son's innocence and pointed fingers at the police for their actions, calling it a "cover-up."
"I do believe my son will receive justice, and I will continue to fight for my son's justice," she said.
