Again, what the heck is going on here?
Friday, Aug 15, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Remember this Sun-Times and the Illinois Answers Project story from yesterday?…
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.
* Believe it or not, it gets worse. Sara Machi with CBS2…
Already under investigation for the on-duty shooting of his partner Krystal Rivera, Chicago Police Officer Carlos Baker may have misrepresented himself and violated department policy in the aftermath of a bar fight in Wicker Park last weekend. […]
While reporting on the initial incident, CBS News Chicago learned from an employee at a neighboring business that Baker called their shop, identified himself as a police officer investigating the bar fight — in which he is actually listed as a suspect — and asked for access to the surveillance cameras.
The employee showed CBS News Chicago the business’ caller ID, which showed Baker’s last name and phone number and a time stamp, 3:01 p.m. Wednesday, as news was breaking about the bar fight.
When a CBS News Chicago reporter called the number and left a voicemail, she promptly received a call back by a man who identified himself as Carlos Baker. He asked if “our restaurant” cameras are working and if they had video of the Sunday night incident.
When told he was speaking to a reporter, Baker hung up.
This guy appears to be a complete menace.
* Oh, and one more thing…
Chicago police say Baker is now on medical leave but has not been stripped of his police powers. He still has his badge and service weapon
I’m just saying, but if I was in CPD management, I’d be worried that every day this guy has police powers is another day the city could be on the hook for another lawsuit.
Then again, those payouts come from a separate pile of city budget cash, so CPD has no incentive to prevent fiscal problems caused by bad actors. Maybe that ought to be changed.
* And maybe FOP Chicago Lodge 7 President John Catanzara might think about retracting his premature and intense defense of Officer Baker last month…
There is nothing nefarious here. The department is not hiding anything. It is simply trying to support an officer and honor the family and the fallen officer Crystal Rivera.
- DuPage Saint - Friday, Aug 15, 25 @ 8:41 am:
If he has that much clout to be put on a medical leave he will probably retire on disability
Who is protecting him and why? If he screwed up will on probation why was he not fired? Someone is responsible for him
- CA-HOON - Friday, Aug 15, 25 @ 8:43 am:
Like I said in the post about this yesterday: CPD is already well-known for protecting torturers and murderers so this is just SOP for them at this point. Because *of course* it had to be a local news journalist who investigated and found the brazen misconduct, CPD investigating itself is a joke, and what a long-running gag it’s been.
It’s all the more glaringly obvious in this particular case where the perpetrator is directly trying to compromise the investigation at the outset, and STILL he has his badge and gun.
Lastly, a mea culpa from John Catanzara would be something wouldn’t it? That’d be as rare as a visit from Halley’s Comet, only once (maybe twice if you’re lucky) in a lifetime.
- Sterling - Friday, Aug 15, 25 @ 8:52 am:
Dick Wolf must be mad someone stole a good half-season story arc for “Chicago P.D.” next year.
- Former Downstater - Friday, Aug 15, 25 @ 8:53 am:
==Someone is responsible for him==
Or it’s another example of how so many police departments work. He’s certainly not the only CPD officer with these types of incidents, he’s just the one in the spotlight right now.
- He's Gotta Go - Friday, Aug 15, 25 @ 8:57 am:
Carlos Baker needs to be terminated from his employment with the Chicago Police Department.
- Remember the Alamo II - Friday, Aug 15, 25 @ 9:11 am:
This guy needs to be fired as quickly as the CBA permits.
- Roadrager - Friday, Aug 15, 25 @ 9:11 am:
==Again, what the heck is going on here?==
Standard. Operating. Procedure. Just visible this time. Big police departments have become the ultimate victim culture.
==And maybe FOP Chicago Lodge 7 President John Catanzara might think about retracting his premature and intense defense of Officer Baker last month…==
Rich, you start holding your breath for that, and think about the active tenure of Catanzara on the force as you do. I’ll just lay down these mattresses on the floor around you while you do that.
- Oklahoma - Friday, Aug 15, 25 @ 9:15 am:
Also curious about the TikTok videos
- Alice Childress - Friday, Aug 15, 25 @ 9:23 am:
The thin blue line is kinda thick for this guy.
- Amalia - Friday, Aug 15, 25 @ 9:31 am:
all that reads awful, as is any case of violence, crime we read about while legal or administrative processes unfold. can’t understand where we are in the process with the criminal part and the admin part. seems slow. he’s yet another defendant, process and rights, while we are angry about facts that come out in non process ways.
- Responsa - Friday, Aug 15, 25 @ 9:54 am:
As soon as Baker is relieved of his service weapon and his police powers and fired, there is a somewhat better chance that whistle blowers will come forward. Right now the memory of what happened to Krystal is fresh and must feel threatening to anyone who might want to come forward and help flesh out the story.
Thank you for staying on this, Rich.
- Jurist - Friday, Aug 15, 25 @ 9:58 am:
For what it’s worth, Second City Cop has been blowing the whistle on this guy for a while now. It looks like the rank and file have been complaining, but the people up top are protecting him for some reason.
- Downstate - Friday, Aug 15, 25 @ 10:13 am:
I’d like to hear his side of the story, but I’m afraid it would be even worse!
- H-W - Friday, Aug 15, 25 @ 10:15 am:
The video clip you link is eye-opening. Mr. Catanzara suggests people end their subscriptions to newspapers because the media cannot be trusted. Mr. Cantanzara blames moles inside the police department for secretly releasing the name of the officer involved in the shooting. Mr. Catanzara feigns concern for the emotional well-being of the officer who killed another officer, suggesting Mr. Baker might commit suicide if the story gets out.
I am not sure who is more emotionally unstable: Mr. Baker or Mr. Catanzara. But the latter does not garner any support for the officers writ-large that he serves, when he attacks everyone who would question the events that happened.
- The Farm Grad - Friday, Aug 15, 25 @ 10:37 am:
What do I see?
A 10M payout to the estate of the police officer he terminated.
And more Chicagoans fleeing because of the onerous tax burden
- Film Noir - Friday, Aug 15, 25 @ 10:59 am:
I suspect that a screenplay could be made about a fictitious crooked cop with a similar career. Something along the lines of “Rogue Cop” or “Shield for Murder.”
This smells to high heaven.
- Irreverent - Friday, Aug 15, 25 @ 11:01 am:
A society designed from the ground-up to avoid holding the owner and enforcer classes accountable. That’s what’s happening. Welcome to the party. It’s been going on for about 237 years now.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Aug 15, 25 @ 11:06 am:
===I suspect that a screenplay could be made===
Nobody who watched those sorts of shows would believe it.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Friday, Aug 15, 25 @ 11:25 am:
We don’t know what happened because the State’s Attorney, undoubtably working in concert with the Mayors’ Office and CPD, moved to seal the body worn camera from the shooting.
- Juice - Friday, Aug 15, 25 @ 11:40 am:
Honest question here, but who has “ownership” of the body cam footage?
I would think CPD. If the attorneys for Officer Baker wanted to file to keep it sealed, so be it. But whose interest is being protected by SA Burke deciding that it ought to be sealed. It would appear not to be the family of the victim. I would hate to believe that its our “transparent” police department. So what is really going on there?
- Responsa - Friday, Aug 15, 25 @ 12:02 pm:
Maybe if asked nicely Gov. Pritzker can offer a (short) tutorial to explain what he thinks is going on here in the state’s largest city.