On Thursday, the jury reconvened in the courtroom for the third day in order to hear a moving testimony from the evening of Chicago police Officer Ella French’s death.
Accused of shooting and killing Officer French during a traffic stop in 2021, Emonte Morgan is currently on trial for murder.
A sergeant who discovered Emonte Morgan hurt on a sidewalk and called the Chicago Fire Department for an ambulance was the first witness to testify on Thursday.
Officer Carlos Yañez, her partner, was also injured in the shooting and took the stand on Wednesday.
A Chicago Police evidence technician who collected and arranged the evidence that August 2021 night testified in front of the jurors. A jammed gun, two live rounds, and an empty cartridge discovered in the vehicle where Morgan had been a passenger were among the pieces of evidence.
The jury was also shown footage from a police body camera of an officer who responded to a 10-1 call, which means “officer needs assistance,” and drove Yañez to the hospital. The jerky video captured their ambulance ride and the chaotic moments they experienced upon arriving at UChicago Hospital.
To show support, Yañez, French’s mother, and other Chicago police officers entered the courthouse together on Thursday morning.
When Yañez took the witness stand on Wednesday, he displayed the scars from the jury above his eye and on his shoulder. In addition, he displayed a lump on his neck that he claimed was caused by a bullet that was never extracted.
He related how he was totally paralyzed, how he was breathing heavily, and how he heard gunshots.
Eric Morgan, the brother of Emonte Morgan, was found guilty and given a sentence for his involvement in this tragic shooting. The Emonte Morgan defense team argues that it’s unclear who fired the shots that struck the cops.
Morgan’s grandmother expressed that she too had a very emotional day and wished that this had never happened.
Evalena Flores, Morgan’s mother, was present in the courtroom on Thursday as well, but she left early and stated she might not come back. On Thursday, the family declined to comment. On Friday, the trial will resume.
