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Chicago Releases Bodycam Video of Officer Fatally Shooting Partner, Showing Aid Delay

The release intensifies scrutiny of CPD oversight following the family’s wrongful‑death claims.

Overview

  • Chicago’s police watchdog COPA, which published two clips Friday after an appeals court lifted a secrecy order in March, released bodycam video showing Officer Carlos Baker fire the shot and wait roughly 1:45 to nearly 2 minutes before returning to Officer Krystal Rivera.
  • The footage shows Baker kick open an apartment door in Chatham, turn as a man inside appears to point a long gun, fire a single round that struck Rivera in the back, radio “shots fired at the police,” and then drag her down the stairs when he returned.
  • Prosecutors are reviewing the case as an apparent accidental discharge and Baker has not been charged, while COPA’s probe and internal reviews remain active.
  • Rivera’s mother has filed a wrongful‑death suit alleging an on‑off romantic relationship, prior warnings to supervisors, and an intentional failure to render aid, claims Baker’s attorney rejects as he maintains the shooting was unintentional.
  • COPA released far fewer files than in past high‑profile cases, and reporting highlights Baker’s history of more than a dozen complaints and the loss of his police powers in August 2025 over a separate incident.