* Peter Nickeas, Tom Schuba and Casey Toner for the Sun-Times and the Illinois Answers Project…
Carlos Baker, the Chicago police officer who shot and killed his partner Krystal Rivera during a foot pursuit earlier this year, allegedly attacked a female officer late Sunday at a bar in Wicker Park, the Chicago Sun-Times and Illinois Answers Project have learned.
The officer who was injured in the attack filed a police report while she was being treated for a split lip at Rush University Medical Center, alleging that Baker and another woman beat her late Sunday at DSTRKT Bar & Grill, 1540 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Baker and another woman approached the 29-year-old officer while she was waiting for a rideshare vehicle in the bar’s vestibule and pressured her to delete videos taken on her cellphone, according to police sources. During an argument over the videos, Baker and the woman allegedly hit the other officer in the face.
The injured officer escaped, with the help of others, and had a friend take her to Rush Hospital, where she got two stitches to close a cut on her swollen upper lip, sources said. An evidence technician documented the officer’s injuries at her home, sources said.
She told investigators she wasn’t at the bar with Baker or the other woman, and didn’t identify herself as an officer during the attack, sources said. It’s not clear what’s on the videos.
A COPA spokeswoman said the oversight agency is investigating the alleged attack. A police spokeswoman said no arrests have been made.
OK, wait. A female cop is beaten up by a 6′ 5″ man. Witnesses apparently exist. And no arrests have been made days later?
* Back to the story…
Baker fatally shot Rivera, a fellow Gresham District tactical officer, during a June 5 foot chase into a Chatham apartment filled with drugs and guns. Officials, and Baker’s lawyer, have referred to the shooting as an accident, but Rivera’s family has called for an outside investigation and the release of body camera videos taken that night.
A Sun-Times and Illinois Answers Project investigation revealed that Rivera had been a key witness to the theft of a Glock handgun that was turned over to police at a buyback event in December 2023 and then stolen from a room full of cops at the Gresham District station.
Rivera told internal affairs investigators she tried to find the gun in her colleague’s bookbags once realizing it was missing. The gun was later used in a series of shootings and was ultimately found on a teenage boy.
“We have so many questions that need to be answered,” the family’s lawyer, Antonio Romanucci, said at a news conference last month. “And we don’t yet trust the narrative that Officer Rivera was shot and killed by her partner during a pursuit of suspects who never fired a shot.”
There’s really something fishy going on here.
* And this excerpt doesn’t inspire any confidence in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office…
Since Rivera’s death in early June, the Cook County state’s attorney’s office obtained an order preventing the release of records relating to the internal affairs investigation and an underlying criminal case against the suspects Baker and Rivera were chasing before the shooting.
That order prevented the release of video and other records that would have normally occurred 60 days after the shooting — about one week ago. COPA has said it did not, and does not, seek orders preventing the release of records.
The police department has pointed to that order in denying the release of records related to the shooting, and also denying the release of other records related to Baker and Rivera’s employment and conduct as officers.
The BGA, the Sun-Times and others have asked the court to unseal the files.
* Seriously, how has this guy skated so long?…
Baker’s short career as a cop has been marred by disciplinary problems from the start, including a complaint stemming from another interaction with a woman at a bar.
While Baker was still a probationary officer in late 2022, a woman he met on Instagram accused him of tracking her down while she was on a date and lifting his shirt to reveal a gun inside the Bluelight bar across from the police station at Belmont and Western avenues.
The investigation was handled by a special squad in the Civilian Office of Police Accountability that deals with sexual misconduct complaints, but it was never referred to the police department for a criminal investigation. COPA’s probe was closed when an investigator was unable to reach the victim, records show.
Baker has faced more than a dozen allegations of misconduct since joining the police department in December 2021. The complaint over the Bluelight incident and a handful of others were lodged when he was still a probationary officer and could have been summarily fired.
The police department hasn’t explained why Baker was able to keep his job when he was the subject of serious complaints during his probationary period. The department also declined to answer most other questions posed about Baker’s conduct or the shooting in June that left his partner dead.
Awful. All of this is just so awful.
- Who else - Thursday, Aug 14, 25 @ 9:03 am:
If we’re going to stick to the “bad apple” line, can police departments please toss them out when the rot is evident?
- GoneFishing - Thursday, Aug 14, 25 @ 9:09 am:
Guess the thin blue line doesn’t apply to cops.
- Lincoln Lad - Thursday, Aug 14, 25 @ 9:13 am:
Suspect the videos they wanted deleted captured something more than just bad behavior. This should be very interesting. Also, it’s time for the public to understand exactly what happened that resulted in Officer Rivera’s shooting and death. Has someone been covering this guy? It feels like it.
- Homebody - Thursday, Aug 14, 25 @ 9:21 am:
== There’s really something fishy going on here. ==
Cops have been letting cops slide for basically the entire history of organized policing. It is more newsworthy when cops are actually held accountable for wrongdoing than when they get off with zero punishment or accountability.
Nothing “fishy” about it. Just more of the same depressing story over and over again on repeat.
- Ukrainian Village Usurper - Thursday, Aug 14, 25 @ 9:30 am:
In the June 27th edition of CapFax, I said:
== The added context of Krystal being involved in investigating the disappearing gun debacle from the buyback program adds a lot of layers to this story.
I don’t want to declaratively say her death was some sort of conspiracy, but given this officer’s disciplinary record I think it’s worth asking if there are other pieces that fit together here. ==
That said, I am still surprised by this story. I truly did not anticipate him re-entering the spotlight with ANOTHER case of abuse of power. Someone in CPD or City Hall is protecting him for some reason and it smells FISHY as all hell–and Krystal Rivera may be dead because of it.
- Amalia - Thursday, Aug 14, 25 @ 9:38 am:
not releasing information may have something to do with an ongoing investigation, a grand jury reviewing something. the case is a mess because of all the factors we already know about in the press. pull back to evaluate. Tony R has a civil case going. he wants all the info he can get.
- RNUG - Thursday, Aug 14, 25 @ 9:41 am:
To skate during probation, Baker must have had a rabbi in the department.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Thursday, Aug 14, 25 @ 9:51 am:
I began my 30+ years in law enforcement in the late ’80’s. Over the years, especially since the early aughts I’ve witnessed the bar for employment slowly lowered.
As I posted yesterday, a recently terminated Anna cop facing Domestic Violence charges had two DUI’s in his background before employment. There was a time when that was an immediate no for most law enforcement agencies.
- Regular democrat - Thursday, Aug 14, 25 @ 9:54 am:
To RNUG that is not the correct term used in the department. Its something else that I wont write. Please members of the media keep up the pressure on this story. This is a disgrace and another severe embarrassment to an agency that really is poorly run.
- Responsa - Thursday, Aug 14, 25 @ 9:57 am:
Horrible stories involving the same cop. Clearly needs more disclosure and resolution. Do not worry, though. MBJ will get right on it.
- Notorious JMB - Thursday, Aug 14, 25 @ 10:04 am:
One person shot with the stolen gun is now suing the City. https://www.nraila.org/articles/20250811/chicago-woman-shot-with-stolen-buyback-gun-files-suit
- NIU Grad - Thursday, Aug 14, 25 @ 10:05 am:
“Seriously, how has this guy skated so long?”
CPD being CPD. Really no surprises here, because they’ve developed such a siege mentality that so many officers believe that holding one of their own accountable is an attack on all officers. It’ll be interesting where our “tough on crime” State’s Attorney lands on this one.
- Larry Bowa Jr. - Thursday, Aug 14, 25 @ 10:06 am:
“Horrible stories involving the same cop. Clearly needs more disclosure and resolution. Do not worry, though. MBJ will get right on it.”
I don’t like the Mayor but I’m eager to hear what control you think any mayor has over CPD staffing. He has zero but you seem to think he can fire cops for some reason.
CPD works for CPD, yesterday today and forever. I know Mary Ann isn’t going to just tweet this out to the public but it’s a reality every adult should be able to grasp. Same exact dynamic in every other big city to varying degrees.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Aug 14, 25 @ 10:09 am:
=There’s really something fishy going on here.=
Rich gets my nomination for understatement of the year.
This has the feel of a major cover up going on. Movies are made about stuff like this.
The mayor loves himself a grandstanding press conference, why haven’t we seen one for this demanding justice and transparency?
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, Aug 14, 25 @ 10:15 am:
===an ongoing investigation, a grand jury reviewing something===
Officer Rivera was shot four months ago. Don’t be daft.
I really have no words. Morally bankrupt. The people who would scream the loudest about Laquan McDonald are now covering up one cop killing (murdering?) another.
- Roadrager - Thursday, Aug 14, 25 @ 10:20 am:
==What the heck is going on here?==
1) Some cops have found themselves a side hustle involving these gun buyback events. Just because the old Watts Crew got busted doesn’t mean they were the only ones facilitating crime in poor neighborhoods for personal benefit.
2) Krystal Rivera was by all accounts a “good cop” who saw something was up and was about to disrupt the business model.
3) CPD brass and the FOP are loathe to remove any bad apples for fear of being left with an empty barrel.
4) This is exactly who O’Neill-Burke promised she would be when she talked about letting cops “be able to do their jobs,” whether on the campaign trail, garnering the FOP’s endorsement, or “losing her voice” at the South Side Irish Parade.
1 and 2 are informed speculation on my part. 3 and 4 have enough public evidence to be pretty solidly set as fact.
- Disgusted - Thursday, Aug 14, 25 @ 10:30 am:
As someone in law enforcement there is nothing excuse for him to not be fired as a probationary officer. I can count on one hand how many complaints I have had, and that is over 20 years. You can’t make everyone happy so complaints will happen, but this clearly shows he does not have the temperament to be an officer. Unions are really the blame for these situations. Through the years I have personally witnessed horrible offers protected and good officers leave.
- Big Dipper - Thursday, Aug 14, 25 @ 10:37 am:
==Do not worry, though. MBJ will get right on it.==
It’s the FOP who is Baker’s biggest cheerleader.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpgpZ3feIXg
- DuPage Saint - Thursday, Aug 14, 25 @ 10:47 am:
This will get worse probably way worse and the lawsuit will make the Burge settlements look like small claims court
- Sickening - Thursday, Aug 14, 25 @ 11:14 am:
It is shocking that this individual is still employed by the police department.
Hiring standards must have declined dramatically while efforts to diversify the police department intensified. Some applicants accepted into the police academy would not have been made it into the program years ago.
Remember the film “Clockwork Orange” from Stanley Kubrick? The gang banger returns from prison and finds that his mates have joined the police force.
- Friendly Bob Adams - Thursday, Aug 14, 25 @ 11:15 am:
I would raise the level from something fishy to stinks to high heaven…