Judge: Jurors could begin deliberations in French case on Tuesday
After days of watching graphic video of a Chicago police officer being killed and another seriously wounded, jurors in the murder trial of the suspected gunman ended the week Friday with technical testimony about firearms and blood analysis.
Prosecutors called several forensic experts from the Illinois State Police to testify about how they processed evidence collected in the killing of Chicago Police Officer Ella French and the wounding of her partner, Carlos Yanez.
Emonte Morgan, 23, is accused of shooting both officers during a traffic stop in West Englewood on Aug. 7, 2021. Morgan had been riding in the back seat of the Honda CRV, a gun in his waistband, according to prosecutors. He is charged with murder and attempted murder.
Judge Ursula Walowski told jurors that prosecutors expected to rest their case on Tuesday, and they could begin deliberations the same day or on Wednesday.
It appears the defense does not plan on calling many, if any witnesses to the stand. In a court filing ahead of the trial, attorneys said Morgan may or may not testify in his own defense.
Jurors spent much of the week watching video from cameras worn by French, Yanez and other officers. One of them showed Morgan arguing with Yanez when told to put away his phone and a cup he was holding.
His brother Eric Morgan, who had been driving the Honda, suddenly ran off as Yanez struggled to detain Emonte Morgan, according to the video.
As French came around the back of the SUV to help, Emonte Morgan pulled a gun from his waistband and fired, fatally striking French in the head, prosecutors said. Emonte Morgan then allegedly fired several times at Yanez, who has lost his right eye from the wounds.
A third officer at the scene, Joshua Blas, chased after Eric Morgan but returned after hearing gunshots. He confronted Emonte Morgan and exchanged gunfire, wounding Morgan, according to prosecutors.
Emonte Morgan was able to run a short distance and handed his gun, a Glock 44, to Eric Morgan before collapsing on a nearby side street, police officers have testified.
Eric Morgan was stopped by a resident after jumping a fence and was later taken into custody by police, others have testified. A Glock 44 was found in the yard.
Eric Morgan pleaded guilty in October to aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, battery with a deadly weapon and obstruction of justice and was sentenced to seven years in prison.
On Friday, Jon Flaskamp, a forensic firearms analyst for the Illinois State Police, testified that the Glock 44 recovered in the backyard matched the shell casings recovered from the Honda and a bullet provided by the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
That bullet, recovered from French’s body, will likely be discussed further when an expert witness from the medical examiner’s office testifies next week.
Emonte Morgan’s defense attorneys, on cross-examination, asked questions about how well evidence was handled at the chaotic scene as police responded in force to the emergency call.
“Fair to say you relied on others to collect and submit the evidence?” Assistant Public Defender Brian Walsh asked.
“Yes,” Flaskamp said. Walsh asked if the trigger pull — the strength it takes to fire a gun — had been tested by state police. Flaskamp said it had not since the agency has stopped doing such testing.
Flaskamp had previously testified that when he test-fired the Glock, he “didn’t find the trigger to be unnecessarily heavy or light.”
The trial will pause for a long weekend because of Casimir Pulaski Day on Monday. The trial is expected to resume Tuesday.