Officer Accidentally Shoots Partner During Chase

0:00On April 20, Chicago police officer Carlos Baker accidentally shot and killed his partner 36-year-old Crystal Rivera during a foot chase on June 5, 2025. Around 9.50 pm in the Chatham neighborhood, the two pursued a suspect into an apartment building. Baker kicked in a door, saw another man with a long gun, fired once, and hit Rivera instead. She died from the wound that pierced both lungs. Body camera footage from Baker, released Friday by the civilian office of police accountability, captures the chaos. The officers yell freeze at the fleeing suspect, chase him upstairs, then confront the armed man inside. Baker checks on Rivera after the shot, calls for an ambulance, and asks the resident to dial 911. Colleagues rushed her to the hospital in squad cars, one of which malfunctioned and caught fire. Rivera's family filed a wrongful death suit against Baker and the department, claiming he didn't provide aid and had a volatile romantic history with her. They questioned the release video as incomplete and demand a full independent probe.

1:04Baker insists there was an unintentional discharge while seeking cover, says they were best friends, and denies any deeper relationship beyond a few. Encounters. Baker faced over a dozen misconduct complaints before the incident, including gun flashing and a risky chase. Despite that, he joined the tactical team. Experts back his actions, calling the stairwell a kill zone where hesitation could doom everyone. The suspect's face drug charges but no murder counts, and they're locked up in Cook County jail. A hearing on the suit comes up in early June as both sides dig for the full truth in this tragic split-second call.