A FAMILY member of Ella French, a Chicago police officer who was killed in a shooting during a traffic stop Saturday night, spoke out in the wake of her death.
French was shot and killed following the stop and a male colleague who was also involved in the shooting is in critical condition at the University of Chicago Medical Center, the Chicago Tribune reported.
“My sister’s always been a person of integrity. She’s always done the right thing even when nobody’s looking,” French’s brother, Andrew French, said of the fallen officer.
“She’s always believed in people and believed in doing the right thing. … She’s always believed in taking care of people that can’t take care of themselves.”
“She was a humanitarian. She believed in human rights. She was one of the officers on the force that thought they needed reform,” he added.
“As much as I was there for her when we were growing up, she was there for me. And I was proud of her, I’m still proud of her.”
“God took the wrong kid,” he said.
Officers from Chicago’s Community Safety Team carried out the traffic stop at around 9pm Saturday near 63 and Bell in West Englewood.
The car involved in the shooting was carrying three people — two men and a woman.
During the stop, someone from inside the vehicle opened fire on the police, and law enforcement returned fire.
The men who were in the car were taken into custody Saturday night, according to the police. One had been shot and was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in serious condition.
The female suspect was arrested Sunday morning, according to Chicago Police Department Supt David Brown.
Brown said the department "preliminarily" believes the hospitalized male passenger was the one who fired on officers, including French.
One of the suspects was caught by cops with the help of neighbors, the Tribune reported.
A neighbor and two of his other relatives reportedly confronted the suspect in a backyard, according to the neighbor’s relative who was translating for the Spanish-speaking individual.
The suspect reportedly hit one of the three people trying to stop him, and they were able to wrestle him to the ground not long before police arrived on the scene, the neighbor said through his translator.
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