Four years after her death, Chicago Police Officer Ella French was honored Thursday with an honorary street sign bearing her name — a small but enduring marker for a young public servant whose life ended in violence while she was doing her job.

French, 29, was killed on August 7, 2021, during a traffic stop in the 6300 block of South Bell Avenue in Chicago Lawn. She had served more than three years with the department, joining after working as a Cook County corrections officer. Her partner, Officer Carlos Yanez, was critically injured in the shooting but survived. The gunman, Emonte Morgan, was sentenced to life in prison.

The naming ceremony took place outside the Leighton Criminal Courthouse at 26th Street and California Avenue. Standing shoulder to shoulder with her family, the ceremony was heavily attended by dozens of members of law enfourcement. Among the fray, Mayor Brandon Johnson stood firm.

Ella’s mother, Elizabeth French, spoke about her daughter’s path through life as a police officer. Referencing the courthouse, she noted that this was where her daughter committed her life to public service.

“Ella learned and grew as a person during her time as a corrections officer,” she said. “I saw a deepening of her respect and compassion for others. As a Chicago police officer, she continued to learn and to grow, but more importantly for me, she brought her respect and compassion for others to the streets of Chicago as she worked to keep the communities a safer place to live.”

French’s killing stunned the city in 2021. She was remembered at the time as a compassionate officer who treated residents with dignity, a reputation built on everyday interactions — checking in on vulnerable residents, listening more than she spoke, and believing in the work even when the city’s tensions ran high.

At Thursday’s ceremony, the new street sign was unveiled in front of the courthouse, the green metal catching the afternoon sun. Officers saluted, family members embraced, and for a moment the courthouse steps fell silent except for the clicking of cameras.

French is survived by her mother and brother, who have carried forward her memory through public appearances and community work. For them, the street sign is not just a tribute, but a reminder — of the daughter and sister they lost, of the officer who served with compassion, and of the cost that service sometimes demands.