(USNewsMag.com) – A Chicago man was found guilty last week of murdering a police officer, wounding another officer, and shooting at another in an incident back in 2021.
On Tuesday, March 5th, 23-year-old Emonte Morgan was found guilty of murdering Chicago Police Officer Ella French and the attempted murder of Officer Carlos Yanez Jr., who was wounded during the altercation. Morgan shot at police during a traffic stop in August 2021 on the South Side of Chicago
Morgan was stopped by the officers after they noticed the SUV he was driving had expired tags on it. According to body-cam footage shared by prosecutors during the trial, after refusing to comply with their order, Morgan dove into his vehicle for a firearm, after which multiple shots could be heard. As one of the jurors cried while the video was played in court, Morgan did not express any emotion.
Morgan’s mother, who was present at the trial, told reporters during a break that she didn’t believe her son was a cop killer and maintained that the shooting was an accident.
Following closing arguments, the jury deliberated for a few hours, reconvened again in the courtroom with the prosecution and defense to post a question, and then announced their verdict around 7 pm. They found Morgan guilty of first-degree murder for the slaying of 29-year-old French and attempted first-degree murder for injuring Yanez, as well as for firing at the third officer, Joshua Blas.
The trial was particularly emotional for French’s family, who cried and hugged one another after the verdict was read to a full courtroom. Also in attendance were the families of Yanez and Blas, and dozens of Chicago police officers and deputies of the Cook County Sheriff’s office.
Last October, Morgan’s brother pleaded guilty to charges of battery, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, and obstruction of justice. Another man from Indiana connected to the case, Jamel Danzy, was handed a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence in December after he pleaded guilty to illegally purchasing the firearm used to kill the Chicago officer.
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