Chicago cop fatally shot in the line of duty identified; 3 suspects in custody
CHICAGO - All three offenders are in custody in connection to the shooting that killed one Chicago police officer and critically wounded another in West Englewood Saturday night.
At about 9:08 p.m., Community Safety Team officers conducted a traffic stop near the intersection of 63rd Street and Bell Avenue when shots were fired at them, striking a female officer and a male officer.
Both officers were transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where the female officer, 29, died from her injuries. She has been identified as Ella French, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner. She suffered a gunshot wound to the head.
"A mother lost her daughter last night, a brother lost his sister," said Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Ella French, 29
The male officer is still listed in critical condition, Chicago police Supt. David Brown confirmed at a news conference Sunday.
Two offenders were placed in custody and police say a weapon was recovered from the scene.
One of the offenders was also struck by gunfire and was taken to Christ Hospital. The offender is in stable condition.
A third suspect, a woman, was being sought by police late Saturday, and Supt. Brown confirmed she was taken into custody Sunday morning.
All three offenders are currently being interviewed by detectives. Police say they have not been officially charged yet.
According to preliminary information, police believe the person who fired shots was a male passenger, and he was the only one to fire shots. He was also the person struck by gunfire.
The driver of the car does not have an extensive criminal background, Supt. Brown said.
The male passenger, who police say fired shots, has a criminal background for robbery in 2019. He received probation for that crime.
The officers were also wearing body cameras at the time of the shooting, and the incident was largely caught on tape, Supt. Brown said.
The name of the male officer will not be released at this time, however, Supt. Brown confirmed Officer French was on the job for 3.5 years and started with CPD in 2018.
Her partner, the male officer who was critically wounded, has been on the force since 2014.
During the news conference, Lightfoot asked for prayers for the officers involved in this shooting. Flags will fly at half staff in the city.
"Tragedy has struck, again. We mourn the loss of a young officer," said Lightfoot. "Two young people, doing what we asked: service over self, commitment and dedication."
Supt. Brown would not provide details on what prompted the traffic stop.
Meanwhile, folks who live in the area where the shooting occurred said it is a fairly quiet block. Many neighbors were stunned.
Thirty-eight officers have been shot at or struck in 2021. Eleven have been shot, and one officer has died.
The last Chicago Police officers who died in the line of duty were Conrad Gary and Eduardo Marmolejo, who were chasing a man with a gun on the Far South Side when they were struck by a train and killed in December of 2018.
The last officer shot to death in the line of duty was Samuel Jimenez, who was killed just a month earlier while responding to a shooting at Mercy Hospital. Three other people died, including the gunman.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.