Ella French Chicago Police Officer killed in West Englewood shooting during traffic stop had just given birth. Three suspects arrested as second officer is in critical condition.
Three suspects are in custody over the shooting death of a female Chicago cop while conducting a traffic stop, Saturday night. The female officer’s death comes less than two months after having given birth and recently returning to work.
Ella French, 29, was identified as the fallen officer, while a male colleague remained in a critical condition come Sunday. A third officer, present during the traffic stop, escaped injury.
French had just returned to work following maternity leave after giving birth to a baby daughter.
She had been with the force in April, 2018. Her partner started in 2014 according to Chicago CBS.
Three officers from Chicago’s Community Safety Team, including French, carried out the traffic stop at around 9pm Saturday near 63 and Bell in West Englewood in Chicago’s South Side.
Male passenger id as shooter
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled French’s death a homicide after she was shot in the head after initiating a traffic stop on Saturday evening at approximately 9:08 p.m.
The car was carrying three people, two men and a woman.
During the stop, someone from inside the vehicle opened gunfire on the police, with the cops returning fire.
One of the people in the car was wounded during the exchange of fire.
The two men who were in the car were taken into custody Saturday night, including the one who was shot and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in a serious condition.
The female suspect was arrested Sunday morning, according to Chicago Police Department Supt David Brown.
Brown said CPD preliminarily believes the male passenger who was hospitalized was the one who fired on officers.
First female officer to die in line of duty in 20 years
The suspect who police believe fired the gun has ‘a criminal background for robbery,’ Brown said, but added none of the offenders has an extensive criminal background.
Cops did not state the reason for the traffic stop, saying more information would be revealed during the investigation.
Brown added that much of the incident was caught on body camera video. Brown also reflected on the dangers of serving the community.
‘Despite the shock, grief, pain and sorrow we feel this morning, our brothers and sisters in blue put the uniform on each and every day. They go to work risking everything to serve the people of Chicago,’ Brown said. ‘They’re willing to sacrifice their lives to save the lives of perfect strangers.’
So far in 2021, 38 CPD officers have been shot or shot at.
Eleven of those officers were struck. French’s death marked the first officer to die this year. Officer French was the fifth woman to die in the line of duty in Chicago Police history, and the first in 20 years.
In 2020 79 officers were shot at or shot. Brown said this year’s number is a 500 per cent increase of officers shot at or shot compared with 2019.
