I Want to Make a Documentary Film about the Strange Case of Howard Morgan in Chicago

Chicago, IL—In February of 2005 off duty railroad cop Howard Morgan was shot by Chicago police officers at least 25 times.  Somehow Morgan miraculously survived but currently sits convicted in an Illinois prison for many more years than he has left on this earth.

I wrote about this strange case when it happened. There are still many more questions than answers. 

Something awful happened during that traffic stop in the Lawndale neighborhood that led to a horrific firefight.

Chicago police officials could not seem to find a motive for their claim of Morgan’s attack on their officers. 

The only thing that ever made sense to me was a sudden misunderstanding that provoked the firefight.

I don’t for a second accept the idea Morgan simply went from law-abiding citizen and former Chicago cop, to a railroad policeman and then finally became a mad dog killer.

This case never made sense to me.  It needs to be reinvestigated and I want the job.   I want to do this investigation as a documentary filmmaker.

I will interview the cops, lawyers, and jurors.  I will read the testimony transcripts so I may determine if reasonable doubt existed and if justice was somehow derailed. 

We must remember that Morgan should never have to prove innocence, just establish reasonable doubt of his guilt. 

This case is racially charged because the officers involved were white and Morgan is an African-American.  I think that race unreasonably over shadowed and tainted the case.

I’m convinced that the African-American community had agitated so much over this case injecting race into their efforts was anything but helpful to Morgan.  It simply hopelessly divided the community.

This case should have been treated as it was, a frightening confrontation at night with an armed off duty cop.  Something went terribly wrong.  Once one officer began to fire shots sympathetic firing began by everyone in the heat of the moment.

Did the cops somehow believe Morgan was a dangerous and armed police impersonator? Back then it was a serious felony for anyone but a sworn officer to carry a firearm.  Whatever Id Morgan may have displayed would not have looked like Chicago police identification.

Had the uniformed Chicago cops ever admitted fearful over-reaction or mistake they’d have been prison bound so they had little choice on how to proceed in an unforgiving world.

More than anything I want to understand Morgan’s elusive motive. That of course assuming he had one.  

I’m convinced a well-made documentary film could shed new light on this very troubling case.

I have no intention to crucify the Chicago cops involved and want the audience to hear their side of the story. 

I simply don’t believe that race or hate motivated an unprovoked on Morgan either.  I want to answer the nagging question of just what went wrong in those split seconds in the early morning darkness in that high crime neighborhood?

If a new trial is warranted I’d like to see that happen.

My Chicago cop friends will have to accept that I will be fair to everyone. 

What I need is the funding to do this documentary film. 

Former Chicago Cop Convicted of Trying to Murder Cops

Chicago, IL—Some seven years ago on February 21, 2005, Howard Morgan wound up in a gunfight with several cops that he lost in a big way. When it was over Morgan was shot 25 times. What’s amazing is that he lived. Three of the patrol officers were also wounded, presumably by Morgan who was a lawfully armed off duty railroad cop. Morgan previously served asa Chicago cop.

I really have no problem with the amount of times Morgan was shot considering the ineffectiveness of the 9MM round the patrol officers were using.

The incident reportedly began when Morgan was observed driving without headlights around 1:00 AM in an area known for drugs and vice activities.

The big mystery here to me was a motive for Morgan to start shooting. I’m still waiting to hear one. Perhaps we will never know. The Howard Morgan gunfight was followed with all kinds of racial profiling accusations. This seems to be a case of Morgan being the only clear defense witness being outnumbered by at least four patrol officers testifying for the prosecution.

Morgan was tried but the first jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. It took seven very long years to try this case and this time Morgan was convicted on every count. Morgan now faces far more years in prison than he’s got left on earth.

I called this case strange because trying to suggest a reason for Morgan to begin shooting is difficult. That kind of traffic stop would never have resulted in even a citation given under the circumstances since Morgan was a cop. Cops always treat each other very well regardless of race. It's indeed a rare day when one cop writes another cop a traffic citation.

This sad chapter has ended with severe changes to at least four lives. I wish I could feel that justice was served but frankly I don’t have enough information beyond pure faith in the Cook County Criminal Justice System. Okay I confess that there’s not much real justice in Cook County. Let’s hope this jury somehow got it right.

The strange case of Howard Morgan

Police work is dangerous. Life and death decisions must be made in split seconds. Survival dictates that if cops error they do so on the side of self-protection at the expense of suspected offenders. There are no second place winners in gunfights.

We are an unforgiving society when our cops make mistakes involving their own survival. An error on the side of survival can sometimes cause a good cop to be disgraced, fired and even imprisoned. Political or racial overtones sometimes can set justice aside and destroy the lives of honorable cops.

Cops by their basic nature are the good guys. They chose a life where they can protect their friends and neighbors from harm. Background checks before hiring and a strict program of observation during training and a probationary period work to insure only the good guys can wear the police star.

No matter what view you take of this case, it’s as ugly as ugly can get. It’s a story about a deadly battle between who we like to call, the good guys.

It all happened on February 21, 2005, on a near, South side Chicago Street. Beat officers on routine patrol observed a moving vehicle with its headlights off just before 1:00 a.m. This is an area where whores and drugs can be found. Officers are rightly on their toes when making stops of anyone in this neighborhood at night.

What happens next is anyone’s guess if you choose to believe the good guys. The problem is they’re all good guys here. The patrol officers pull over the offending driver, Howard Morgan. In a flash Morgan is shot 25 times by the patrol officers. Two patrol officers are also shot. Presumably, Howard Morgan shot them.

Howard Morgan, 51, is also a cop. Morgan was a Chicago police officer who after eight years abandoned that position over a requirement that all Chicago police officers live within that city’s boundaries. Morgan secured a well paying position as a railroad cop that would let him live wherever he wanted. Morgan has no known criminal history.

One of the unspoken but real perks of being a cop is an end to receiving citations for traffic infractions. Traffic stops between cops are really more like a social visit. Unless the offending cops is drunk, combative or involved in other criminal activity such a stop would never make the Six O’clock News.

The official police version came from Pat Camden the Chicago police spokesman. The mêlée began when Morgan identified himself as a cop as he was being frisked. Camden said, Morgan pulled his semi-automatic pistol and fired it at the officers and the officers returned fire.

The officers returned a lot of fire. 25 rounds struck Howard Morgan. This is not surprising considering the Chicago Police Department insisted their officers carry a really weak choice of a nine millimeter service round. These bullets are incredibly ineffective for police work.

What’s missing from this story? Let’s begin with a motive. Try as I might I can’t think of one here. Did Morgan simply snap without reason? That’s just not likely. No drugs, whores or other criminal evidence has ever surfaced in this mix.

What about intoxication? Were drugs or alcohol is Morgan’s bloodstream? Yes they did examine Morgan’s blood for these things. The results of such testing have not yet surfaced. I would expect that if the tests were positive that information would have made the news for sure.

Howard spent nearly a year in the Cook County jail unable to post the 10% requirement of his $2 million-dollar bond. That all changed when an anonymous donor provided nearly the entire bail amount. Emotions ran high on both side of this mess as Morgan was allowed to wait for his day in court at home. I don’t think Morgan who is still recovering from his injuries is a flight risk.

This case may seem to be fueled by race issues, but I don’t think that’s the case here. Only the participants of this encounter know whatever really happened. No matter who was right, or wrong, everyone involved regrets the result.

Crimefile will be watching these case and reporting new developments.
WMAQ-TV report: http://www.nbc5.com/news/5840876/detail.html?z=dp&dpswid=2265994&dppid=65193

Update: 1/27/12 Seven years after the shooting a retrial ended convicting Morgan. I don't think he will live to see freedom again. From the FOP Lodge 7 Website: For a second day in a row, in separate cases, a Cook County Jury listened to the evidence presented by ASAs Dan Groth and Phyllis Warren and delivered justice for our own. Howard Morgan was found guilty this evening on all counts for the attempted murders of Officers John Wrigley, Tim Finley, Eric White and Nick Olsen.