MINNEAPOLIS — Shortstop Tim Anderson says he can’t tell you what the White Sox’ record is. He knows they lead the Indians by “about 10 games” in the AL Central. But he can assure you they won’t let up.
“It would be easy to look at how many games we’re up and get lazy and think a game doesn’t matter, when every game does matter,” Anderson told the Sun-Times Tuesday. “You take it day by day and you understand what we’re trying to do — win a championship. You have fun, enjoy the moment, and don’t think about no 10-game lead.”
After finishing a three-game series Wednesday afternoon against the Twins (48-65 entering Tuesday), the Sox (67-46) can’t let up. Starting with the Field of Dreams game against the Yankees in Dyersville, Iowa, on Thursday, a stretch of 14 games against the Yankees, Athletics, Rays and Blue Jays awaits. All are contending teams, and the Sox’ record against teams with .500 records or better is 21-28. They were 46-18 against teams under .500.
Manager Tony La Russa managed a 2011 Cardinals team that was 10 1/2 back for the Wild Card on Aug. 24 and won the World Series, so he knows first-hand big leads can be had. He managed a Sox team in 1983 that won the AL West by 20 games and got quickly KO’d by the Orioles in the the ALCS, which was the only round before the World Series then.
Stuff happens.
“Human nature is always a concern,” La Russa said. “But there’s two ways we counteract it. No. 1 is that if we keep the goal of improving, so if we can play ourselves into October, we want to peak in October, we want to be better than we are today. The only way you can do that is to get better. The only way to get better is to understand what you’ve got to work on, work on it and execute it.”
Whether it’s Lucas Giolito finding ways to make himself angry to create an angry, competitive mindset as he did when he pitched a gem against the Twins Monday, or catching Seby Zavala telling him to pitch as though the score was 1-0 after the Sox scored seven runs in the first two innings, it’s about maintaining an edge.
“I’m all for that edge,” La Russa said. “We just watched ‘The Last Dance’ with Michael [Jordan] and he would look for ways to put a chip on his shoulder. Anger, adrenaline, something to prove, that gives you that extra focus and strength. I embrace it. I love it when I see it.
“It’s a very good way to play this game. Get some adrenaline going.”
Things could not be falling into place better for the Sox. They recently got outfielders Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert back from injuries, added Craig Kimbrel and Ryan Tepera to the bullpen and second baseman Cesar Hernandez in trades, and catcher Yasmani Grandal (knee) is likely going on a minor league rehab assignment soon.
The big lead allows the Sox to rest pitchers when necessary.
“We’re getting people back where we need them and at the right time of year,” said right-hander Lance Lynn, who starts the series finale against the Twins Wednesday. “We have Yas left to get back and [right-hander Evan Marshall] is on his way back, too. We’re in a good spot and you can look at our team and see everybody starting to get healthy and come together at the end of the year.”
In the meantime, La Russa said the “training room, our strength guys, the coaches and the players themselves are constantly repeating the message to themselves.”
“It’s not just talk,” La Russa said. “That’s the message that circulates our clubhouse and that’s why, knock on wood, we continue to be consistent.”
Tony Esposito, who played goaltender for my favorite Chicago team, hockey’s Blackhawks, from my childhood until I was almost 21, died on Aug. 10 of pancreatic cancer. My father and I saw five Blackhawks games together at Chicago Stadium, one a year through high school and my first year at Valparaiso University. I carefully selected the teams I wanted to see, except when I gave in to Dad’s idea that we see Gordie Howe (still playing past age 50, which I understand better now) and the Hartford Whalers.
But there was no negotiating one thing: I figured out which end of the rink would be “Tony’s net” for two periods, because I wanted to be able to watch him closely. He was beyond a favorite — maybe a constant was a better word. (The ritual in hockey is that the goaltenders change ends every period, supposedly to keep them from building snowy obstacles or other things that might help them keep the other team from scoring.)
I was interested in seeing the Hawks score, of course, but I was more fond of seeing Tony stop the other side from scoring. When that didn’t happen, I usually knew just exactly what other players to get mad at, of course! But eventually, following the teamwork around Tony taught me a lot. At the first game Dad and I attended, the Hawks beat the St. Louis Blues, 3-1. I was disappointed that I didn’t get to see one of the shutouts for which Tony Esposito was justly famous. (I keep seeing a career total of 74, but I clearly remember listening and celebrating in my college dorm room when I heard shutout no. 75 on the radio.)
So that single goal against stung, but I learned to understand it. In gym classes, I played goalie in floor hockey because (a) I understood it more than most girls and (b) I’d face few shots on goal and get few sticks over my shins. And when a plastic puck or a much-taped, nearly cubic ball got past me, suddenly I was ready to be a bit more forgiving that night when it happened to Tony Esposito. I also learned a lot about working together and trying to defend against mistakes. (From goalie to copyeditor?)
I still have my VCR, and I have some of Tony’s play on tape — but I’m going to wait and play those tapes when I can see straight again. I’m not so sure of my eyes right now. I might just settle for a DVR moment, Tony and his brother Phil in their Blackhawk uniforms (which they didn’t wear otherwise at the same time) for the franchise’s touching “One More Shift.” That’s a ritual in which great former Hawks are invited back for one last appearance on the ice, one last chance to hear the cheers and greet their successors. Phil was one of the great scorers in league history — probably because he grew up trying to get pucks past Tony. No doubt Phil’s ability was part of what developed Tony’s, too.
Since they had their “One More Shift” before the pandemic, seeing the brothers with the Hawks who were to play that night won’t be without an ache of its own… but some of the players will still be around when the next season begins in September.
My earlier post today about quiet as self-care can close out the voting as my biggest piece of irony for the year. I certainly don’t want anything stronger. My mind’s ear is reeling as my heart tries to stop the dizzying memories.
I just want to go for a walk, but I know what my heels would sound like on the pavement; They would echo the old cheer, “TO-NY, TO-NY TO-NY!”
I moved to Chicago from the south suburbs in 1986. I have diverse interests, but I love writing about what I’m interested in. Whether it’s a personal interest or part of my career, the correct words to get the idea across are important to me. I love words and languages — French and Scottish words enrich my American English. My career has included years as a journalist and years working in museums, and the two phases were united by telling stories. I’m serious about words and stories. So here I am, ready to tell stories about words and their languages.
Chicago police officers upset with Mayor Lori Lightfoot over her reform policies are also directing their anger at the Chicago Police Department’s second-in-command.
First Deputy Police Supt. Eric Carter infuriated officers gathered Saturday night at the Cook County medical examiner’s office to give their slain colleague, Ella French, a final send-off.
Ignoring a sacred ritual, Carter impatiently declared: “We don’t have 20 minutes for this s—.” He demanded the Chicago Fire Department ambulance bearing French’s body be taken directly into the medical examiner’s office, skipping the Emerald Society’s traditional playing of bagpipes.
“We’re not waiting on the bagpipes. Go ahead and get the vehicle inside,” Carter is heard saying on a recording.
“Take it all the way inside. Do not stop.”
Former Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy said the time-honored ritual tied to the line-of-duty death of a Chicago police officer is “sacred.” For the department’s second-in-command to ignore it is not only a sacrilege, it’s an “inexcusable” affront to the rank-and-file officers Carter is assigned to lead, he said.
“When Cliff Lewis got killed and his fiancee came to the hospital, I took her into another room and I sat her down and explained to her what had occurred. And she completely lost it. When I say lost it, she was basically rolling around on the floor,” McCarthy said Tuesday.
“You know what I did? I was on the ER floor of Christ Hospital rolling around with her trying to hold onto her and comfort her. The sensitivity of an officer being killed. The handling of the family. The handling of the body. It’s kind of sacred.”
Asked about Carter ordering the process to be sped up, McCarthy said, “There’s always enough time. Let’s put it that way. If we had to wait two or three days, I would have done it.”
Asked whether Carter can regain the respect of rank-and-file officers, McCarthy said, “It would be a stretch to think that they would want to get behind a leader who doesn’t respect something that sacred.”
Ald. Anthony Napolitano (41st) has served the city as both a firefighter and police officer. His Far Northwest Side ward is home to many Chicago police officers.
Napolitano acknowledged Carter was under enormous stress on the night French was killed and her partner was seriously wounded. But, he said, that’s no excuse for his cavalier behavior.
“Give them just that respect at that time, which those officers needed because this is what creates that post-traumatic stress that they go through constantly in this war zone of a city that we have. To take that away from them in that moment was wrong,” Napolitano said.
“I hope it was just a miscalculation or something done in error. But the way that was presented, the way that looks, that is just terrible. You don’t do that to your soldiers at all.”
CPD spokesman Don Terry was asked whether Supt. David Brown agrees with the way his top deputy handled situation at the medical examiner’s office.
“No comment beyond reminding you of what an emotionally difficult and painful night that was — and continues to be — for everyone involved,” Terry wrote in an email to the Sun-Times.
The mayor’s office declined to comment.
Lightfoot is facing her own political backlash after a Saturday night traffic stop in West Englewood left French dead and her partner fighting for his life after being shot by one of the men in the stopped car.
The mayor was told repeatedly that the wounded officer’s father, a retired Chicago police officer himself, didn’t want her on the floor of the University of Chicago Medical Center where his son was being treated in the intensive care unit. But Lightfoot ignored his wishes and got a tongue-lashing from the father.
Shortly after, Lightfoot walked out into the hallway and suffered a final indignity. Officers gathered to pray for French and her wounded partner turned their backs on the mayor as she approached.
Maritza Bandera did everything she was supposed to do. She graduated high school, went to college, earned a master’s degree, found a career that pays well, got married and had kids.
But there’s one thing she and her husband have yet to do: buy a home. And post-pandemic, that’s becoming increasingly more difficult — at least in the neighborhood she’s called home for over 25 years.
“It’s heartbreaking to an extent that even someone like myself is being priced out of the area as it relates to homeownership,” Bandera said. “We probably earn double the average salary for our household in the area and we would love to stay here, but it is becoming harder and harder to find a home within our price range.”
Bandera grew up on Chicago’s Northwest Side in Belmont Cragin, a neighborhood where, as in much of Chicago, the housing market is hot. Owning a home in the neighborhood she loves is, she fears, becoming a distant dream.
In June, the median list price of homes in Belmont Cragin was $360,000 — up 19% from June 2020, according to Realtor.com. But the median sale price in the neighborhood was even higher: $375,000, indicating people were willing to overpay to get the home they want.
To stay within their family’s budget, Bandera said she hopes to spend about $250,000 on a home. They could manage $300,000 — but it would be tight.
“I’m always keeping an eye out for homes as I am driving by and I saw these beautifully rehabbed bungalows — don’t get me wrong, they’re gorgeous — but they were up on the market for almost half-a-million dollars,” Bandera said. “I don’t understand who they are building these houses for and how can they even afford that kind of price tag in this neighborhood.”
A house for sale in the 4800 block of West Montana Street, in Belmont Cragin.Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Belmont Cragin, where Latinos make up more than 80% of the population, has a median annual household income of about $51,689 — less than the citywide median of $58,247, according to census data.
“I am happy these developments are coming here. I mean, Lord knows we need it. But I just wonder how this is going to affect people like me,” Bandera said. “Can we stay here? I hope so, but I’m not sure anymore.”
Bandera’s not even sure her family can stay in Chicago.
Geoff Smith, executive director of the Institute for Housing Studies at DePaul University, said neighborhoods like Belmont Cragin aren’t alone in seeing housing prices rise since the start of the pandemic.
People have been diving into the housing market to take advantage of record-low interest rates, he said, but demand outstripped supply. Fewer homes were being put up for sale and even fewer new homes were being built.
In Chicago, new builds have steadily declined since 2016, and that drop became even steeper during the pandemic.
In 2020, the city approved nearly 30% fewer permits for new construction than in 2019, according to city data. The drop in new permits in 2020 is about 37% compared to 2018.
What hasn’t changed is that new construction continues to be concentrated mostly in North and Northwest Side neighborhoods.
“More times than not, these constructions are happening in densely populated and in more wealthy communities — and it’s not like new homes are being built on empty land,” Smith said. “New constructions in Chicago are usually de-conversion jobs, where they turn a traditional two-flat into a single-family home.”
A similar trend could happen with the rising costs of single-family homes in neighborhoods that haven’t been touched by gentrification, Smith said. Families who have worked their way up the economic ladder and are in the position to own a home may not be able to buy one in their own community.
As inventory thins in the Chicago area, Smith said, he expects people could start to look beyond their first-choice neighborhood. More affluent people trying to buy in Logan Square, for example, could get discouraged by repeated bidding wars and may look at nearby Hermosa, Avondale or even Belmont Cragin, where Bandera lives.
Those buyers could offer more than the asking price, leaving a neighborhood’s typical buyer out of luck.
The Institute for Housing Studies also monitors housing affordability. Its Cook County House Price Index measures the quarterly prices of single-family homes.
The report groups neighboring communities and suburbs into 33 submarket categories to see how prices are fluctuating. The latest report, issued in April, compared the fourth quarter of 2020 with the same period in 2019. It found the biggest annual price increases occurred on the South and West sides.
Despite having the bulk of the city’s new construction permits, the North Side’s annual single-family prices either remained flat or even decreased.
According to that index, the areas with the largest increase in single-family sale prices in that time frame were in the submarkets of Englewood/Greater Grand Crossing (23.7%), Humboldt Park/Garfield Park (20.1%) and Auburn Gresham/Chatham (17.3%).
The only markets to see year-over-year price declines were in higher-value, more stable markets. These include Lake View/Lincoln Park (-5.2%), Lincoln Square/North Center (-1.7%) and West Town/Near West Side (-0.8%).
“It’s interesting that the areas that saw a slight dip in sale prices over the year also tend to be areas that have the most new constructions,” Smith said.
A way to combat that is to develop affordable homes and rental units in communities that need it. And indeed, some Chicago neighborhoods are essentially untouched by development, with vast stretches of vacant land. Affordable homes there could help people in those neighborhoods accrue wealth.
But it’s a balancing act, Smith said.
“The problem you run into with a rush of development is gentrification,” Smith said. “There has to be a concerted effort in making sure the development happening is what the community wants and that affordability for everyone remains at the center of it.”
Maritza Bandera and Roberto Parra with their children, (left to right) Arielle, Eliel and Gabriel in front of their home in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood. They are renting now and want to buy, but prices in the area are rising.Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
The Institute for Housing Studies hasn’t yet published its report on the first quarter of 2021, but the National Association of Realtors has, and it shows sale prices continuing to rise.
The median sale price of single-family homes rose at an annual pace of 16.2% — a record high since 1989. The nation’s median sale price was $319,000 in the first quarter of 2021 compared to nearly $275,000 in the first quarter of 2020, according to the National Association of Realtors.
That rate of growth was mirrored in metro Chicago, where the median single-family home prices rose from nearly $262,000 at the end of the first quarter of 2020 to nearly $304,000 at the same time this year.
“The lower scale market is the one that is just unusually tough,” Hernandez said. “It is usually pretty easy to close on a house over the $450,000 mark but anything under $225,000 is just tough.”
Pre-pandemic, Hernandez said, buyers would be able to look at several homes and take their time before buying, weighing the pros and cons of each property. Now, they look at one or two homes, then have to make an offer while still walking through.
“There is definite fatigue for the lower-end buyers because not everyone has it in them to offer $10,000 or even $20,000 over asking price,” Hernandez said. “This isn’t a market for everyone, but I’m just telling people to be patient and we can find them a home that makes sense for them.”
Hernandez said buyers also are realizing it’s no longer possible to find a Northwest Side home priced under $250,000 that’s also “move-in ready.” Maybe on the South Side, he said — and even then, it may need some work.
But the Northwest Side is all Bandera knows, and those rising prices beg the question: How were her parents able to do it decades ago, when they first bought a home in Belmont Cragin?
Both she and her husband make sizable salaries compared to her parents, but the idea of owning a home in the same neighborhood is slipping away.
“Our goal is to stay here because this is all we know and this is where all our family is at,” Bandera said. “But I won’t lie, it may no longer be possible. We are starting to look at some nearby suburbs since owning a home here seems to be such an obstacle.”
My first trip to DryHop Brewers was during the last Pride Parade before the pandemic exploded. I had a beer while waiting for a friend, but I couldn’t take it all in given the festivities and the number of people inside. I stored this brewery in the back of my mind, as I was impressed by the beer I drank (it was dark and delicious). I also liked the inviting, rustic atmosphere with exposed brick.
Fast forward to 2021 and visiting the neighborhood for some murals. I was delighted after seeing their sidewalk patio and beer menu. I learned that DryHop focuses on hoppy beer, so it’s a good thing I have become a fan of that style.
I started with a refreshing Farmhouse Ale – Saison and a stack of crispy fries. Paper Machete offers notes of clove, pepper, peach, and lemon. My second beer was a Back Off, Bow Tie. This juicy, tasty Hazy IPA has notes of orange, pineapple, peach, and passionfruit. My taste buds were jumping for joy when I left.
This was the perfect way to relax on a beautiful Tuesday afternoon. DryHop Brewers is in the eclectic Lakeview neighborhood at 3155 N. Broadway. A food menu is available offering bites, salads, sandwiches, and pizza. My goal next time is to try one of their delicious-sounding pizzas.
Take a stroll to Weisman Park to view this captivating new mural by Ryan Tova Katz. The park is less than a mile from DryHop and a nice little walk. “Livvy” is one of the reasons I found myself in the area.
My greatest passion is street art. I’m constantly pounding the pavement in search of murals with eyes wide open, so follow me on my colorful journey. View all my findings on Instagram @chicagosartandbeerscene.
Another passion of mine is beer. I consider myself a beer snob with a preference given to dark beer, especially stouts and barrel-aged. However, I’m always willing to try new styles because beer is life. Prost!
Tony Esposito, a legend in Blackhawks history as the franchise’s all-time winningest goalie, died Tuesday after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
He was 78.
“From his arrival in the Windy City in the late 1960s through an illustrious playing career and decades as a franchise icon, Tony left an indelible mark — both on the ice and in the community — over the next 52 years,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.
“Beyond the individual awards…it was Esposito’s style, charisma and heart that endeared him most to hockey fans, not only in Chicago but across the NHL.”
Esposito won 418 games across 15 seasons with the Hawks, starting in 1969 and lasting until his retirement in 1984. Seventy-four of those wins were shutouts, which also stands as a franchise record.
He was a three-time Vezina Trophy winner (in 1970, 1972 and 1974), a five-time NHL All-Star (in 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974 and 1980) and also earned the Calder Trophy as a rookie in 1970.
“Tony was one of the most important and popular figures in the history of the franchise,” Blackhawks chairman Rocky Wirtz said in a statement. “Four generations of our family…were blessed by his work ethic as a Hall of Fame goalie, but more importantly, by his mere presence and spirit. Likewise, four generations of hockey fans grew to love Tony.”
Named to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988, Esposito — fondly known as “Tony O” — remained involved with the Hawks organization in recent years, becoming an official team ambassador in 2008. His No. 35 is retired and hangs in the United Center rafters.
“‘Tony O’ was a fierce competitor who also took great pride in being an entertainer, whether it was with his pioneering butterfly style during his playing days or interacting with fans across the League as one of this game’s great ambassadors,” Bettman said. “The hockey world will miss him greatly.”
Tony Esposito remained involved with the Blackhawks into recent years, including this 2017 Blackhawks Convention appearance.AP Photos
Esposito — who grew up alongside his older brother and fellow NHL legend Phil Esposito in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario — remains the all-time Goals Against Average leader at Michigan Tech, where he won the NCAA hockey championship in 1965.
But he bounced around several minor leagues early in his career and arrived in Chicago without much initial fanfare. Wirtz, in his statement, recalled claiming Esposito off waivers from the Canadiens for a mere $25,000 payment.
That quickly changed. Few goalies have ever produced a better season than Esposito did in 1969-70: a 38-17-8 record, .932 save percentage, 2.17 GAA and 15 shutouts.
That spectacular performance established him as a Hawks centerpiece of the 1970s. He helped the team reach the Stanley Cup Final the following season and do so again two years later, playing in total 99 career postseason games — in addition to 873 career regular-season games — with the Hawks.
His off-ice kindness and humility further cemented his reputation in the city.
“If you were a new player in Chicago, Tony and [his wife] Marilyn always made you feel welcome and comfortable,” Wirtz said. “Rookies were invited to their home for countless dinners, and when the Espositos held their annual Christmas party, everybody associated with the Blackhawks was there.”
Esposito is survived by Marilyn as well as two sons, Mark and Jason, and two grandchildren.
“[Tuesday] is a sad day for the Blackhawks and all of hockey. But with his wonderful family, let us celebrate a life well-lived,” Wirtz said. “Tony Esposito’s banner will be part of the United Center forever, as will his legacy as a superstar, on and off the ice.”
A federal judge handed a downstate Galesburg man a hefty prison sentence of nearly nine years Tuesdayfor burning down a Sprint store during the 2020 riots in Minneapolis before moving on to Chicago, where he was arrested, prosecutors said.
The sentence falls just 10 months short of what prosecutors called for last month, when they wrote in a court memo that Matthew Lee Rupert, 29, “drove over 400 miles to exploit an aggrieved community for fun.” They wrote that he “packed a duffle bag full of artillery-shell fireworks, but apparently forgot his signs protesting the death of George Floyd.”
Rupert’s lawyer, Jordan Kushner, later asked for a five-year sentence and accused prosecutors of overstating the case. He wrote that “Mr. Rupert takes responsibility for setting a fire, but such destruction was not part of any prior plan.”
“Mr. Rupert like many others got caught up in the mob,” Kushner wrote. “It is not an excuse, but it is still a fact which accurately explains that he did not come to Minneapolis for the purpose of causing serious physical destruction.”
Rupert pleaded guilty to arson in April, admitting he posted a roughly two-hour video to Facebook Live on May 29, 2020, in which he could be seen encouraging violence against law enforcement, damaging property, breaking into buildings and looting businesses in Minneapolis.
The fireworks that prosecutors say Matthew Rupert brought with him to riot in Minneapolis. U.S. District Court records
His plea agreement says he could be heard on the video declaring, “We came to riot!”
Eventually, Rupert can also be seen asking for lighter fluid and entering a boarded-up Sprint store, according to the plea deal. It said he entered a back room of the store, knocked boxes into a pile on the ground and sprayed them with lighter fluid. A juvenile Rupert brought along with him from Galesburg then lit the pile on fire at Rupert’s direction, according to the document.
The resulting fire totaled the store, according to the feds. Liberty Mutual, which insured the property, had paid nearly $4 million to repair the building and replace lost rental income as of July, and Sprint lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in inventory, they said.
Rupert moved on from Minneapolis to Chicago as rioting and looting began to break out here on May 30, 2020. He did so even though someone warned him on Facebook that in Chicago, “they just dont pull out guns they use them,” records show. But Rupert was soon arrested after violating the curfew Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced in response to the unrest, records show.
If there was a bright spot in the senseless, difficult night last weekend that left police officer Ella French dead and her partner seriously wounded, it was the actions of an emergency dispatcher who brought calm, order and help during the critical moments after the shooting.
A 10 minute clip of police radio transmissions the night of Aug. 7 shows the dispatcher taking command of the situation following the shooting at 63rd Street and Bell Avenue.
“Two ambulances, two ambulances needed for two officers down, two officers down . . . six-three and Bell. I want a perimeter set up three blocks north, south, east, west of that location,” he says urgently.
Over the few next minutes, the dispatcher relays suspect descriptions, calls for a helicopter search and tells an officer to give Officer French chest compressions as a squad car rushes her to the hospital.
He even had the presence of mind to suggest taking the wounded officers to better-equipped University of Chicago trauma center, rather than nearby Holy Cross Hospital.
We’re not shy about taking city officials and employees to task on these pages whenever we feel they’ve fallen down in the job.
But here’s a city worker who appears to have done an exemplary job under the toughest circumstances. We couldn’t let it go unnoted here.
‘I got my job’
An army in blue rushed to the West Englewood neighborhood intersection minutes after French and her partner were shot during a traffic stop.
Emonte Morgan, 21, and his brother, Eric Morgan, 22, were charged with killing French and critically wounding her partner. A judge Tuesday ordered the two held without bond.
Emonte Morgan allegedly opened fire on the officers during a traffic stop. He, in turn, was shot in the abdomen and left arm.
But in a hectic search for suspects and emotions rising among responding officers, the dispatcher became an important hub, relaying information to help capture the shooters and keep the wounded officers alive.
“OK, listen to me: Take that damn vest off right now and start compressions,” he told the officers in a squad car set to take French to the hospital. “Start breathing, whatever we got to do. Start it now. While you’re driving, the officer in the back with her, take the vest off and start compressions now.”
At another point during a flurry of directions given by the dispatcher, an officer radios-in asking for a canine unit to assist in the search.
“I got my job — do yours. Take care of my officers out there,” the dispatcher said.
When officers at the scene of the shooting decided to use their squad cars to take their wounded comrades to the hospital, the dispatcher orders eastbound 63rd and 55th streets blocked off to allow clear passage for the 5 mile trip.
“The [wounded] male officer going to the ER — bring him through the emergency room,” he tells police at the hospital. “And the other female officer [French], please get her in there, guys, make it quick. Be safe getting there, but make it quick.”
The dispatcher’s voice breaks with emotion — momentarily — when an officer at the hospital relays French’s condition.
“Shot in the head between the eyes, both officers unresponsive,” he says. But he quickly recomposes himself, and tells officers at 63rd and Bell to secure the crime scene.
Chicago at its best
In a statement Tuesday, the Office of Emergency Management and Communications said it was “incredibly proud of the actions taken by our 9-1-1 dispatchers” that night and would acknowledge their professionalism at a later date.
“Our focus right now,” the statement continued, “is with our Chicago Police Department family and the families of both officers.”
We won’t name the dispatcher either for now, out of respect for the preferences of the police department.
But on a night when the worst of Chicago was on display, one dispatcher’s actions represented our city at its best.
Even as Chicago Police Officer Ella French lay dying, her body camera continued recording her accused killer standing astride her and holding a handgun, a Cook County judge was told Tuesday.
And Emonte Morgan later told investigators in a videotaped statement that he “thought he might have shot the girl and a boy cop,” Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said during Morgan’s bond hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse.
Judge Arthur Willis ordered Morgan, 21, held without bail, saying the evidence suggested he “callously” shot French in the head and critically wounded her partner during a traffic stop Saturday night in West Englewood.
In a separate court hearing Tuesday, Judge Charles Beach ordered Morgan’s brother, 22-year-old Eric Morgan, held without bail for his alleged involvement in the same incident.
Both courtrooms were packed with Chicago police officers. And afterward, dozens of Cook County sheriff’s deputies lined the hallways, many saluting as the Chicago police officers filed out.
Chicago Police Officer Ella FrenchChicago Police Department
Saturday’s incident unfolded about 9 p.m. in the 2200 block of West 63rd Street when French and two male officers pulled over a gray SUV for having expired license plates, Murphy said.
There were three people in the SUV. Eric Morgan was driving, his brother was in the back passenger seat and an unnamed woman was sitting in the front passenger seat, Murphy said.
French, 29, approached Eric Morgan and asked him to hand her his keys and get out of the car, which he did, Murphy said. The woman passenger also stepped out of the car.
Emonte Morgan, who prosecutors referred to as “Monty” in their written proffer, got out too, but with a drink and cellphone in his hands.
“He refused repeated instructions to set the items down,” Murphy said. “He began physically jerking his arms away from the officers.”
Eric Morgan then fled on foot, pursued by one of French’s fellow officers. French’s other partner then struggled with Emonte Morgan near the car, Murphy said. One of the body cameras “captured a semi-automatic handgun” in Emonte Morgan’s waistband.
Then at some point, Emonte Morgan “fired multiple shots, striking both French and [the other officer],” Murphy said.
The officers fell to the ground. Their cameras kept recording.
“[Emonte] Morgan is seen on the video emerging from the passenger compartment holding a gun in his left hand,” Murphy said. “He is seen looking around while standing above the officers.”
The officer who’d chased Eric Morgan, upon hearing the gunshots, returned to help his fellow officers, Murphy said. Emonte Morgan then fired at the approaching officer, apparently missing him. The officer opened fire and struck Emonte Morgan in the abdomen, prosecutors said. Emonte Morgan also suffered a gunshot wound to his left tricep. Despite being shot, Emonte Morgan was able to pass his handgun to his brother, who was later captured nearby by civilians, Murphy said.
Investigators recovered three .22 caliber spent cartridges near the SUV. Testing confirmed those cartridges came from a handgun found near Eric Morgan, Murphy said.
The brothers both gave videotaped statements, Murphy said.
Emonte Morgan admitted to “possessing a gun in the front of his waistband. He further admitted to pulling out the gun and indicated he that he thought he might have shot the girl and a boy cop,” Murphy said.
In denying bail, Willis said Emonte Morgan had “callously” shot at the officers whose weapons, prosecutors said, were holstered before Emonte Morgan opened fire.
Emonte Morgan, left, and Eric MorganChicago Police Department photos
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.”
The wounded officer, 39, remains in critical condition at the University of Chicago Medical Center with a bullet lodged in his brain and gunshot wounds to his right eye and right shoulder, prosecutors said.
Emonte Morgan, who was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, is 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. Eric Morgan is charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and obstruction of justice.
In an emailed statement, State’s Attorney Kim Foxx called French’s death “a tremendous loss.”
“The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office stands with the Chicago Police Department and the families of those officers in their time of mourning,” the top prosecutor said. “As to the two offenders who we have now charged, we will prosecute these cases to the fullest extent of the law.”
FOP President John Catanzara said it was “inexcusable, ridiculous” that Foxx wasn’t present at Tuesday’s bond hearings. He was also upset that no one from the CPD’s top brass was there either.
Foxx was unable to attend the hearings because she was meeting with FBI Director Christopher Wray and other “law enforcement partners,” according to Risa Lanier, the interim first assistant at the state’s attorney’s office.
A Chicago police officer wears a blue and black band on her badge as she walks into the Leighton Criminal Courthouse to attend the Tuesday bond hearings for two brothers charged after the fatal shooting of Chicago Police Officer Ella French.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
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