Partner of slain Chicago police Officer Ella French details injuries for jury during second day of testimony: ‘I heard gunfire right above me’
CHICAGO — On his last night as a Chicago police officer, Carlos Yanez Jr. remembers pulling over an SUV, then nothing more until he lay on the ground, struggling to breathe and listening to panicked yells from his partner.
“I heard gunfire right above me, and then I heard Josh screaming 'Yanez! Yanez! French!'” Yanez testified on Wednesday, referring to Detective Joshua Blas.
The trial for a man accused of killing Chicago police officer Ella French and injuring Yanez resumed at the Leighton Criminal Courts Building after an emotional start on Tuesday when the jury saw footage from body cameras that depicted the chaotic moments before and after the shooting.
Growing emotional throughout his testimony, Yanez described to the jury his injuries and long recovery after he and French were shot during a traffic stop near 63rd Street and Damen Avenue on Aug. 7, 2021.
Emonte Morgan, 23, is charged with murder and other felonies in connection with the shooting. His brother, Eric Morgan, was sentenced to seven years in prison for his role in the shooting in October.
Defense attorneys have contended that the body camera footage is too close and muffled to ascertain exactly what happened when Yanez and French were shot.
According to prosecutors, French, Yanez and Blas pulled over an SUV occupied by Emonte Morgan, his brother, Eric, and a woman for expired plates. Eric Morgan handed over the keys when asked, prosecutors have alleged, but Emonte Morgan refused to put down a drink and a cellphone he was holding, leading to a scuffle, prosecutors said.
Blas testified on Tuesday that he chased after Eric Morgan while French and Yanez stayed behind. He heard gunfire, returned to the scene and found his two partners on the ground, he said.
Yanez can remember the beginning of the traffic stop, he said, but his memory is blank until after shortly after he was shot. He testified that he was paralyzed on the ground while he heard more gunfire.
“I couldn’t move anything,” he said.
In response to questions from prosecutors, Yanez detailed his injuries, pointing out an indentation on his head where a bullet pierced his skull. He rubbed his hands along his neck, telling the jury that he can feel a bullet that doctors advised should not be removed.
He said he can walk with the assistance of a leg brace, has a prosthetic eye and experiences ringing in his ears. He can no longer serve as a police officer.
He underwent rehabilitation for about a year, he testified, initially confined to a wheelchair. Over time, he said, he regained the ability to walk with the brace, though he can’t feel anything below his left knee.
“Today you were actually able to walk into this courtroom without the assistance of the walker?” Assistant State’s Attorney Emily Stevens asked during questioning.
“Yes,” Yanez replied.
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