The family of fallen Chicago Police Officer Krystal Rivera has filed a wrongful death lawsuit, alleging her partner, Officer Carlos Baker, who fatally shot her during a chase, should never have been on the force.
Rivera, a four-year veteran, was shot in the back by Baker on June 5 while pursuing an armed suspect in the Chatham neighborhood. She later died from her injuries.
Allegations of Negligence and Red Flags
The lawsuit, reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, makes several explosive claims against the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and Officer Baker:
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Failure to Act on Misconduct: The family argues that Baker should have been terminated due to a long history of more than a dozen misconduct complaints and three suspensions.
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Department Condoned Danger: Attorney Antonio Romanucci, representing the Rivera family, stated the city “hired this rogue police officer despite knowing he was a danger to the community.”
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Personal Motive Alleged: The lawsuit claims that when Baker fired the fatal shot, he was struggling to accept the end of his romantic relationship with Officer Rivera.
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Training Violation: Romanucci also stated that after Rivera was wounded, Baker failed to radio dispatch for help, forcing the fatally injured Rivera to alert others herself.
“Krystal Rivera would be alive today,” Romanucci said, arguing the department failed to terminate Baker earlier.
Baker’s History and Status
Reporting from the Illinois Answers Project and the Chicago Sun-Times indicates Officer Baker had a documented history of complaints, including a recent August incident where he allegedly battered a woman at a local bar and then attempted to interfere with the investigation.
Baker was relieved of his police powers on August 15. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) is still investigating the fatal shooting.
The armed suspect the officers were pursuing, Adrian Rucker, was arrested along with another man, Jaylin Arnold, after fleeing the scene.
