The fatal shooting of a police officer that Chicago authorities initially framed as part of a gunfight with a suspect is now at the center of a wrongful death suit that claims the real threat was inside the officer's own squad car. The family of Krystal Rivera, 36, has sued the city and the Chicago Police Department, arguing that officials ignored a documented pattern of misconduct by her partner, Carlos Baker, and still assigned him to work alongside her, reports Fox News. Rivera was killed June 5 when Baker fired at an armed suspect during a foot chase but instead shot Rivera in the back at an apartment building, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit, filed by Rivera's mother, says Baker had 11 misconduct complaints over three years, including an allegation that he'd pulled a gun on an ex-girlfriend in a bar, and that Rivera herself repeatedly warned supervisors about his behavior. A probe by NBC 5 Investigates unearthed two dozen charges against him during that period. The outlet notes that "while many were considered unfounded, administratively closed, or expunged, he was suspended for a civil rights violation in 2023 and was reprimanded on several occasions." The Chicago Tribune notes that Rivera was the first CPD officer to die in friendly fire in almost four decades.
Rivera and Baker had a turbulent, on-and-off romantic relationship, which Rivera ended after learning Baker had a live-in girlfriend, the filing states, per Fox. Rivera also is said to have asked for a different partner over Baker's "reckless conduct" and told colleagues she feared him. She alleged that he kept appearing at her home uninvited as recently as the day before the shooting. A family attorney says Baker not only shot Rivera but then left her on the floor without offering basic medical aid, forcing her to radio in that she'd been shot.
The complaint also notes that Rivera had initially been standing behind Baker as he tried to kick a door down into the building, leading to questions on how he swiveled 180 degrees to shoot her in the back, per NBC. The suit further accuses the CPD of submitting misleading reports to state regulators that suggested the gunfire came from the suspect they were chasing, not from Baker. Prosecutors previously declined to pursue a case against Baker, who's also named in the new complaint, but Rivera's relatives say they hope evidence will prompt a fresh look at possible criminal charges. Rivera, who joined the force in 2021 and was seen by colleagues as a rising officer and mentor, "never should have had to fear ... her own partner," her mother said.
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