Feb 2024. Blues Vol 40 No. 2

ation. Ramos could have

ation. Ramos could have otherwise faced up to a year in jail on the misdemeanor conviction. Three people who were shot by Ramos spoke in court during his sentencing Tuesday about the ongoing recovery process, both physically and emotionally. “It was only by the grace of God that nobody was killed on the night an officer unleashed bullets into a crowd of innocent civilians,” said Willis Small, who was shot in the foot. “The world doesn’t seem as safe or familiar as it used to be,” said Yekalo Weldehiwet. “It’s like I lost something, and finding my way back feels really tough.” Ramos and two other Denver police officers confronted Jordan Waddy, 23, around 1:30 a.m. July 17, 2022, as bars closed in the busy LoDo nightlife district. The officers believed Waddy was carrying a gun and followed him through streets crowded with pedestrians. They confronted Waddy, who pulled a gun from his clothing and was holding it by the slide on top of the gun when the officers fired, body camera footage shows. Three officers fired, shooting Waddy, but also injuring six bystanders. A grand jury later determined that only Ramos’ shots hit the bystanders and that the other two officers did not injure any bystanders. Waddy and the bystanders all survived. Ramos, who fired from a different angle than the other two officers, could see there was a large crowd of people behind Waddy and should not have fired, the grand jury found. Waddy never turned the gun toward Ramos or directly threatened him, the grand jury found. “The police shot me and five other innocent bystanders,” Bailey Alexander said in court Tuesday. “The police. How is that possible? They are supposed to protect us from the bad guys, right? … It was a police officer who hit me. It was a police officer who pulled the trigger. It was Mr. Ramos.” Denver police and the police union defended the police officers’ actions in the days after the incident, and then-Mayor Michael Hancock said he was surprised that Ramos was criminally charged. “It (was) incredibly difficult and tragic not only for the victims, but also for the city,” District Court Judge Nikea Bland said before sentencing Ramos Tuesday. “As a citizen of this city, it’s really polarized the city in a way that is not helpful for us to continue to grow together. …The plea agreement is appropriate based on what I have seen about the case, and ultimately, despite the fact Ramos is not serving time in custody, it’s a life-altering plea agreement.” Ramos has been suspended without pay from the police department since the charges were filed. The police department did not immediately answer an inquiry about his employment status after the guilty plea Tuesday. CHICAGO OFFICERS CAN WEAR UNIFORMS TO SUS- PECTED COP KILLER’S TRIAL, JUDGE DECIDES By Joanna Putman Police1 CHICAGO — Police officers who wish to attend the trial of a murder suspect in the case of Officer Ella French are allowed to come to court in uniform, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Defense attorneys had asked that officers who attend the trial of Emonte Morgan, 23, not wear their uniforms, citing concerns that a “sea of blue” might intimidate the jury, according to the report. The incident occurred on Aug. 7, 2021, when Officer Ella French and her partners pulled over Eric Morgan, 25. Emonte was in the backseat, according to the report. After Eric refused to put down a drink and a cell phone he was holding, a struggle with officers ensued. During the struggle, Emonte produced a handgun from his waistband and shot French and her partner, Officer Carlos Yanez. The suspects were taken into custody after trying to flee, according to the report. French did not survive. Officers did wear uniforms in the October trial of Morgan’s brother, Eric Morgan, 25, who pleaded guilty to battery with a deadly weapon and obstruction of justice in the incident. He was sentenced to seven years in prison, the maximum allowed for the charges, according to the report. Defense attorneys filed several motions to keep the shows of support for French at bay during Emonte’s trial, claiming they wanted to prevent it from “becoming a circus,” according to the report. Judge Ursula Walowski, who also presided over Eric’s trial, stated she would not let that happen, according to the report. 50 The Blues - February ‘24

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