Officer Shot by Partner: Accountability Needed

0:00It's April 17, California news today starts now, AI-powered and ready. Videos just dropped, showing Chicago police officer Crystal Rivera getting fatally shot by her own partner last June on the south side. The 36-year-old officer died from a gunshot to the back during a foot chase in the Chatham neighborhood. It was friendly fire from officer Carlos Baker as they pursued a suspect. The chase kicked off around 9.50 pm when they tried stopping Adrian Rucker, who bolted into an apartment building. Bodycams captured them rushing upstairs. Baker kicking in a door, spotting with look like a rifle, then firing while backing out and hitting. Rivera. He radioed shots fired at police and later called for an ambulance. Rivera's family hit back hard with a wrongful death lawsuit against Baker and the Chicago police department back in December. They claimed he ignored protocol by not aiding her right away, running upstairs instead, and failing to report her shooting clearly. The attorneys pointed their rocky romantic history as a factor too.

1:03Baker's got a rough past with over a dozen misconduct complaints and three suspensions. Just recently, on August 15, the department stripped his police powers amid a new probe into an off-duty bar fight where he allegedly battered. Another officer. Three guns turned up at the scene and Rucker got nabbed later. This tragedy highlights deep issues in police training and oversight with the family pushing for real accountability while investigations drag on. Stay tuned as more details emerge on how departments handle these red flags.