A Chicago man convicted of killing police officer Ella French and wounding her partner during a 2021 traffic stop was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday. Emonte Morgan, 24, was found guilty in March of first-degree murder, attempted murder of a peace officer, and possession of a firearm as a felon. His sentencing includes a mandatory life term plus an additional 57 years for the crime, according to Cook County Circuit Judge Ursula Walowski.
The 29-year-old Officer French was fatally shot while her partner, Officer Carlos Yanez Jr., was severely injured. Morgan also fired at a third officer, Joshua Blas, during the August 2021 incident. French’s tragic death and the injuries sustained by Yanez have had a profound impact on their families, who shared emotional testimonies during the sentencing.
Elizabeth French, Officer French’s mother, expressed her deep sorrow, saying, “The memories, they sneak up on me sometimes and I am filled with grief and sadness. I don’t know that closure will ever be possible for me.”
Yanez’s father, Carlos Yanez Sr., a retired Chicago police officer, directed his anger at Morgan, declaring in court that his son should have been killed long ago. The tense courtroom atmosphere escalated when Morgan’s mother responded with a profane insult, leading to her removal from the proceedings.
Morgan’s defense attorney, Kristine Neal, argued that he could still be rehabilitated, despite the severity of his crimes. Morgan, on the other hand, maintained that the traffic stop was unlawful and that Officer French’s death was accidental.
During the trial, Morgan’s attorneys contested the clarity of body camera footage, suggesting that it was difficult to discern the events that unfolded during the traffic stop.
In addition to Emonte Morgan’s sentencing, his brother, Eric Morgan, who was driving the vehicle during the traffic stop, pleaded guilty in October 2023 to charges of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, battery, and obstruction of justice. He received a seven-year sentence. Another individual, Jamel Danzy, who purchased the firearm used in the shooting through an illegal straw purchase, was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in federal prison in December 2022 after pleading guilty to a firearms charge.
The sentencing brings some closure to the case, though the impact of Officer French’s death continues to resonate with her family, colleagues, and the Chicago community.
