Chicago police remember Officer Ella French on third anniversary of her death

Slain Chicago Police Officer Ella French honored at roll call, her mother speaks

The Chicago Police Department remembered Officer Ella French three years after she was tragically killed in the line of duty.

CHICAGO - The Chicago Police Department remembered Officer Ella French three years after she was tragically killed in the line of duty.

Officer French served the department for more than three years before she was fatally shot during a traffic stop on Aug. 7, 2021.

She is remembered for her optimism and hope, being "the best this city has to offer," and "truly Chicago's finest."

There will be a memorial roll call at the Gold Star Families Memorial and Park at noon on Wednesday. Mayor Johnson will join the department and French's family in honoring her sacrifice.

Officer French, who was 29 at the time of her death, and two other officers, Officer Yanez and Officer Blas, stopped Emonte Morgan and his brother, Eric Morgan for having expired plates near the intersection of 63rd Street and Bell Avenue.

The brothers got out of the car when told to, but, Emonte refused to put down a drink and cell phone he was holding. Prosecutors said he got into a struggle with police, while Eric ran off, and at some point, Emonte started shooting, striking both French and Yanez.

Both officers were transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where Officer French died from her injuries. Officer Yanez was left paralyzed.

Eric pleaded guilty in Cook County court in October 2023 to unlawful use of a weapon, aggravated battery and obstruction of justice.

Emonte was found guilty of first-degree murder as well as attempted first-degree murder in March. He is currently awaiting sentencing.

Remembering Ella French

On Aug. 7, 2023, on the two-year anniversary of her death, a memorial roll call was held for her at the Gold Star Families Memorial and Park. Fellow Chicago police officers and French's mother were in attendance. The memorial roll call marked her end of watch and celebrated her as a true hero.

Chicago police remember Officer Ella French on third anniversary of her death

Fallen Chicago police officer Ella French will be honored by the department on the third anniversary of her death. There will be a memorial role call at the Gold Star Families Memorial and Park.

Mayor Brandon Johnson released a statement on the two-year anniversary of French's death, saying: "Today we honor the memory and remember the life of CPD officer Ella French, who lost her life protecting others. As we mourn her passing today, we keep all first responders in our thoughts, as working as a first responder requires a unique and remarkable form of bravery to rise every day to confront perilous situations."

A week before the two-year anniversary of French's death, the Chicago Police Department Mounted Unit welcomed a new horse and named her French. According to the Mounted Unit, naming their horses after fallen officers is a tradition that carries on the legacies of those who have died while serving the city of Chicago.

Officer French's death also reached those in the suburbs, with the DuPage County Board Commissioner Pete DiCianni establishing a scholarship in honor of her.