Emonte Morgan, accused of killing Chicago Police Officer Ella French, and his older brother who was also charged in connection to the shooting were ordered held without bail Tuesday.
Emonte Morgan, 21, and his brother, Eric Morgan, 22, face a litany of felony charges in the Saturday shooting in West Englewood that killed French and left her partner fighting for his life at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
About three dozen police officers, many in uniform, packed into the courtroom for Emonte Morgan’s bail hearing.
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Prosecutors said both men gave statements to police.
Emonte Morgan told investigators “that he admitted to drinking and to possessing a gun in the front of his waistband,” said Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney James Murphy.
Emonte Morgan also admitted “he might have shot the girl and boy cop,” Murphy said during a hearing before Judge Arthur Willis.
Murphy said the gray SUV was initially pulled over because of expired license plates, then the officers noticed an open container of alcohol in the SUV.
French’s partner was shot twice in the head and once in his right shoulder, Murphy said.
Emonte Morgan was shot twice — in the abdomen and in his left arm — and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.
In denying bail, Willis said Emonte Morgan had “callously” shot at the officers whose weapons, prosecutors said, were holstered before Morgan opened fire.
Willis also noted the events were captured on police body cameras, including the fact that the officers’ weapons were holstered before being fired upon.
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Eric Morgan was ordered held without bail at a later hearing by Judge Charles Beach.
Beach noted that Eric Morgan, rather than fleeing the scene after the shootings, took “possession of the very weapon that was allegedly used to kill” French.
“I don’t think electronic monitoring will make the community safe in this particular case,” Beach said. “He’s shown a propensity to flee. He’s shown a propensity to commit crimes in other states.”
Emonte Morgan was charged with first-degree murder of a peace officer, two counts of attempted first-degree murder of a peace officer, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, according to the state’s attorney office. Eric Morgan was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and obstruction of justice, the state’s attorney office said.
Right after Tuesday’s second hearing, dozens of Cook County sheriff’s deputies stood saluting, lining the hallway as CPD officers filed out of the courtroom at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse.
“Say her name: Ella French. Today began the justice process for Ella and for her partners,” FOP President John Catanzara said.
Catanzara said, it was “inexcusable, ridiculous” that State’s Attorney Kim Foxx didn’t show up for the bond hearings or make a statement.
He was also upset that not a single member of “the brass of CPD” showed up.”
“Disgusting leadership coming from the Chicago police department. And where was the mayor, who supposedly all of sudden cares about law enforcement?” Catanzara said
Risa Lanier, the interim first assistant at the state’s attorney’s office, said Foxx was unable to attend the hearings because she was meeting with FBI Director Christopher Wray and other “law enforcement partners.”
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