CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: A wave of furious outrage has sparked online after 25-year-old Eric Morgan, who was charged with the murder of police officer Ella French, was reportedly offered a plea deal that will keep him in prison for just seven years.
Eric and his brother Emonte Morgan were charged after fatally shooting 29-year-old French during a violent traffic stop in the West Englewood neighborhood on August 7, 2021.
Eric was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, and obstructing the administration of justice after being accused of handling the murder weapon allegedly used by his brother.
Meanwhile, Emonte, who is accused of pulling the trigger, has been charged with first-degree murder of a peace officer, attempted first-degree murder of a peace officer, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, and unlawful use of a firearm by a felon.
Eric, however, will be released by 2030 despite the gravity of the crime. On Friday, September 29, 2023, his attorney revealed that he has been offered a seven-year prison sentence which is the maximum for the most serious charge against him.
Roger Brown further claimed that he could face 23 years in prison if he did not accept the plea deal. “If it were not for the fact that it was associated with the Chicago police and officers, he would've gotten a sentence of probation,” Brown said, according to Daily Mail.
“So I think a sentence of seven years is more than enough,” he continued, adding that Eric is scheduled to have his plea hearing on October 12.
Why did the Morgan brothers kill Ella French?
French was fatally shot after she and her colleague Carlos Yanez pulled over Morgan's brother’s car just after 9 pm on August 7.
The brothers were said to have been driving with expired license plates, prompting police to pull them over. Investigators claimed that at one point, French asked one of the men to come out and that’s when a physical altercation took place.
During the altercation, Emonte pulled out his gun and opened fire at both officers. In the exchange of gunfire, French was fatally shot at the scene, while Yanez was gravely injured.
Later, it was revealed that both brothers were on probation for separate cases at the time of the shooting. Emonte pleaded guilty to robbery in Cook County court in 2022.
He also has other criminal charges on his record, including minor traffic offenses such as leaving the scene of an accident, operating a vehicle without a license, and driving uninsured. He was also charged with battery and theft in 2019.
Meanwhile, according to public records, Eric pleaded guilty to theft in Dane County, Wisconsin.
Internet furious over Eric Morgan’s plea deal
Eric’s plea deal has sparked a vicious outrage online, with one Twitter user saying “Getting worse every day. We need to do something, I wish I knew what it was we collectively can do.”
“This is not justice. This is a spit and slap in the face of everyone that loved this officer. ???,” a second user fumed.
“Socialist Chicago. That's easily a death penalty case here in Texas. We don't give plea deals to cop killers,” a third user said, while a fourth wrote, “This has to stop, no more slaps on the wrist Life sentence or death penalty.”
“There you go! Who wants to put their life in danger to be a cop????? No one!!” another user asserted.
“How about life? Her family is sentenced to not seeing their loved one for the rest of their lives,” one more user wrote.
