Who Is Chicago Police Officer Ella French, Cop Fatally Shot In West Englewood?
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago Police Officer Ella French, who was fatally shot during a traffic stop in West Englewood, had been on the job since 2018.
Officer French, 29, was assigned to the Community Safety Team and conducted a traffic stop around 9 p.m. Saturday near 63rd Street and Bell Avenue in West Englewood.
Three people were in the car — two men and a woman. During the traffic stop, someone in the vehicle opened fire on police, who returned fire. French's partner was seriously wounded.
Officer French was the fifth woman to die in the line of duty in Chicago Police history, and the first in 20 years.
The Community Safety Team to which French and her partner were assigned fights crime and specifically connects with the faith leaders and community groups.
So far in 2021, 38 CPD officers have been shot or shot at.
Eleven of those officers were struck, and French is the first to die this year.
In 2020, 79 officers were shot at or shot. Police Supt. David Brown said this year's number is a 500% increase of officers shot at or shot compared with 2019.
