Judge bars release of bodycam video in fatal shooting of Chicago police officer

A prosecutor said video shows the suspect stepping over Ella French's body.

A judge has temporarily barred Chicago authorities from releasing body camera video, described by a prosecutor in chilling detail, of Chicago police Officer Ella French being gunned down during a traffic stop. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability in Chicago said in a statement that it received the order Monday from a Cook County Circuit Court judge forbidding the "the city of Chicago and its entities" from publicly releasing any material connected to shooting under the city's Video Release Policy and the Freedom of Information Act. The video allegedly shows suspect Emonte "Monty" Morgan opening fire on French and her partner, who was critically injured, during an Aug. 7 traffic stop, according to prosecutors. In the one-page ruling, the judge did not elaborate on a reason for the decision, only writing that body camera video and other evidence can't be released "during the pendency of the criminal matter."