Slain Chicago Police Officer Identified, 3 In Custody

CHICAGO — Three people are now in custody in a shooting on the South Side that left a Chicago police officer dead and another officer fighting for his life. CPD Supt. David Brown and Mayor Lori Lightfoot updated the news media Sunday morning on the deadly shooting in a year when dozens of Chicago police officers have been shot at or wounded by gunfire.

The deceased officer is 29-year-old Ella French, who been with the Chicago Police Department since April 2018. She and her male partner were part of a Community Safety Team working in the 8th Chicago Police District and conducting a traffic stop. Another officer was also riding in the same police vehicle.

All three people in the vehicle, believed involved in the deadly shooting, are in custody. A third suspect, a female passenger in the vehicle, was arrested Sunday morning, Brown said.

>>> 1 Chicago Police Officer Fatally Shot, Another Fighting For His Life

“Despite the shock, grief, pain and sorrow we all feel this morning, our brothers and sisters in blue put this uniform on each and every day,” the police superintendent said. “They go to work, risking everything to serve the people of Chicago. They come to work willing to run toward danger, toward gunfire, and they’re willing to sacrifice their lives to save the lives of perfect strangers.”

Both officers were conducting a traffic stop shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday in the 6300 block of South Bell Avenue in Chicago’s West Englewood neighborhood. A male passenger inside the vehicle is said to have opened fire from inside the vehicle. The officers, who were struck, exchanged gunfire, wounding the alleged shooter, who was brought to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

The male driver and the passenger alleged to have shot at police were both taken into custody at the scene. At this time, detectives believe the male passenger is the one in the vehicle who fired his gun at the officer. The female passenger escaped and there was an extensive search for in the area, that put on lockdown. Brown said the female passenger was arrested Sunday morning.

The wounded officers were rushed to University of Chicago Medical Center, where French succumbed to her wounds. Her partner, who’s been with the force since August 2014, is in critical condition and fighting for his life.

Lightfoot declared Sunday “an official day of mourning” and ordered flags on public buildings to be lowered to half-mast, and encouraged private buildings to do the same.

“These are two young people doing what we ask, service over self, commitment and dedication,” the mayor said during Sunday’s news conference. “I also want to address another issue that has been lashing our city for far too long. There are some who say that we do not do enough for police and that we are handcuffing them from doing their jobs. There are others who say we do too much for the police and never hold them accountable, especially in Black and Brown neighborhoods. In all of this, I say stop, just stop. This constant strife is not what we need in this moment.”

While the city has to continue to pursue constitutional and accountable policing, “that cannot be in debate at this moment,” Lightfoot said. “Let me also reiterate what I know to be true, the police are not our enemies, they’re human, just as we are.”

Brown said social media reports of the deceased officer recently returning from maternity leave and having an infant child were not accurate.

“I would encourage you not to follow Twitter news,” the police superintendent said. “Her mom requested that we withhold information about her daughter until she’s ready to hear you report it. We’re going to honor that, and we ask that you do the same.”

French lived on the city's Northwest Side in the Montclare neighborhood, according to an address listed on a Cook County Medical Examiner's ledger. She has a mother and a brother. She is the first female Chicago police officer to be killed in the line of duty in 21 years.

While police had “some thoughts” about the deadly traffic stop, Brown would not comment if the traffic stop was the result of a pursuit or violation. Brown would also not give their ages, although Saturday evening police were looking for a black female in her 20s.

All three are currently being interviewed by Area 1 detectives and are said to be cooperating. None have officially been charged.

Brown also refrained from commenting on how the female passenger in the vehicle was able to allegedly flee the scene and remain at large until her arrest on Sunday morning.

“What we believe is that the interviews with the offenders will reveal from their statement to us all of that information,” Brown said. “We’re going to withhold guessing as to what the stop happened and really listen to what the offenders are saying.”

Brown was out of town Saturday evening finalizing funeral arrangements for his mother, who died unexpectedly last week, when he got the news of the officer's death. He took a morning flight back to Chicago and has met with both officers' families.

The police officers were wearing their body cameras during the stop, which will be reviewed by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability.

So far in 2021, 38 Chicago police officers have been shot at; 11 have been struck, one of which was the female officer killed in the line of duty on Saturday.