Body camera footage from a fatal 2025 shooting involving Chicago police officers was released by a civilian oversight commission on Friday. The video shows Officer Carlos Baker fatally shooting his partner, Officer Krystal Rivera, during a pursuit of a suspect on June 5, 2025. Rivera, a 36-year-old four-year veteran of the department, was shot and killed as the officers chased a suspect into an apartment. The footage depicts Baker kicking in an apartment door, encountering a man with a firearm, and then a single gunshot is heard as Baker falls back. Rivera's bodycam shows her following Baker, and she drops to the ground after the gunshot. Baker is then seen calling for medical assistance and a SWAT team, and attempting to aid Rivera by dragging her to the first floor, where backup arrives [1].
Three days after the incident, the Chicago Police Department stated that an officer had discharged their weapon, fatally striking Officer Rivera. The city's Civilian Office of Police Accountability has been investigating the shooting as an 'unintentional discharge.' Baker's attorney, Timothy Grace, asserted that Baker was facing the lethal end of a rifle and that his weapon unintentionally discharged while he was seeking cover, citing factors such as the officers' heights, positioning, and the angle of the weapon as contributing to the deadly outcome [1].
Baker was relieved of his law enforcement powers in August, meaning he was stripped of his gun and badge and could no longer make arrests. However, NBC Chicago reported that this action was not related to the June 5 shooting, and Baker has not been charged with any crime [1].
The Chicago Police Department issued a statement expressing condolences to Rivera's family and noted that the Civilian Office of Police Accountability investigation is ongoing, with no further comment at this time. Additionally, Rivera's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit last year, alleging that the department knew Baker was reckless and posed a threat to his partner [1].
CONCLUSION
The release of the bodycam footage has brought renewed attention to the fatal shooting of Officer Krystal Rivera by her partner, Officer Carlos Baker, during a 2025 pursuit. With an ongoing investigation and a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Rivera's family, the incident continues to raise questions about police procedures and accountability within the Chicago Police Department.