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Krystal Rivera

Gender : Female

Age : 36

Race : Latinx

Date : 06/05/2025

Location : Not Disclosed

City : Chicago

County : Cook

State : Illinois

Agency : Chicago Police Department

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Officer killed by gunfire during foot pursuit

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

Officer Krystal Rivera, a 36-year-old mother and four-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, was fatally shot on June 5, 2025, during a foot pursuit in a residential area. While attempting to stop a person, the man ran into a building. Officers followed and encountered armed individuals. During the confrontation, Rivera was shot and later died at the hospital. Her partner Carlos A. Baker claims that he tripped and his gun accidentally discharged which hit her in the back and killed her. Instead of immediately calling 911 and requesting emergency medical assistance, Baker and another officer, Jon Hein, placed Rivera into a police vehicle and drove her toward a hospital. The vehicle crashed and caught fire. Still without an ambulance, she was transferred to yet another police vehicle and taken to the hospital, where she died less than an hour after being shot. Police have described the car fire as due to a mechanical issue/malfunction. No further technical cause has been made public. Chicago Police have not publicly provided a specific reason beyond “fellow officers rushed her.” Cook County Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide. One detail prosecutors put on the record: Rivera’s partner lost his footing, and his weapon accidentally discharged.

Officer Carlos Baker is in the news weeks later for a new incident. Allegations: A 29-year-old off-duty female CPD officer says she was waiting for a rideshare when a man and a woman approached, demanded she delete “videos” she had taken in the bar, and then beat her in the face. She needed stitches for a split lip. The police report identifies the man as Officer Carlos Baker who shot Rivera. COPA is investigating.

Officer Baker has more than a dozen misconduct complaints on his record including at least 3 past suspensions and 2 reprimands which are detailed in the enclosed link. Despite this history, he had been assigned to an aggressive tactical team. Officer Baker is on paid leave and not in custody. Subsequent reporting revealed that Rivera and Baker had been involved in a secret romantic relationship while both were serving as officers with the Chicago Police Department. Rivera had recently ended the relationship and had threatened to disclose it to Baker’s other girlfriend. At the same time, Baker was reportedly angry about not receiving a promotion he believed he deserved. These personal and professional stressors are now being examined as possible contributing factors in the shooting.

The fact that Rivera was shot in the back has become a major point of scrutiny for investigators and the family’s attorneys. Prosecutors and oversight bodies are examining not only the shooting itself but also the actions taken afterward, including the failure to immediately summon emergency medical services and the handling of the scene.

Rivera’s mother and the family’s attorney, Antonio Romanucci, are publicly questioning CPD’s narrative, saying it doesn’t “pass the smell test,” and are demanding release of all body- and dash-cam along with an independent (Illinois State Police) investigation. A judge has temporarily blocked public release of some video and records while related criminal cases proceed. A wrongful death and civil rights lawsuit was filed against Baker, Hein, and the City of Chicago. The lawsuit alleges misconduct, abuse of authority, and systemic failures, emphasizing the romantic relationship, the breakup, the threat of disclosure, and Baker’s emotional state in the days leading up to the shooting. The case remains under active investigation, with no final determinations yet made. The police department has taken away his police powers, meaning he isn’t performing usual police duties (like street patrol or tactical assignments), but he remains inactive and on payroll with Chicago PD.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2025/06/05/chicago-police-officer-shot-cpd-crime-shooting