* ABC 7…
A Chicago law firm announced a wrongful death lawsuit Thursday in the shooting of Chicago police Officer Krystal Rivera earlier this year.
Rivera was killed in a friendly fire incident on June 5. She was shot by her partner, Officer Carlos Baker.
“Friendly fire”?
* Check out the lawsuit…
Any police officer shot in the line of duty has one expectation: that they can immediately count on their fellow officer to come to their aid. Chicago Police Officer KRYSTAL RIVERA should have been able to rely on her partner to do just that when she was shot, but—against all decency—her partner not only shot her but then ran in an opposite direction and left her to die. […]
RIVERA’s death was not instantaneous. Indeed, she lay bleeding and was breathing and desperately called in her own shooting to dispatch while Defendant BAKER stood by, failing to provide any form of medical care, aid, or assistance, as is required by Chicago Police Department (“CPD”) policy and training. Defendant BAKER failed to apply pressure to stop the bleeding or take any basic first aid measures to try to save RIVERA’s life, as taught in CPD policy and training. He never called for an ambulance. He failed to promptly notify dispatch of the shooting; he failed to disclose that he was the person who discharged his weapon, blaming it instead on a third party when he was the only one who discharged a weapon at the scene; and he failed to properly identify the location of the shooting so that paramedics or other officers could quickly come to her rescue.
Wow.
* WTTW…
Antonio Romanucci, an attorney for the Rivera family, said that Rivera and Baker became involved in an on-again, off-again romantic relationship dating back to 2023, which was known to other CPD employees.
Rivera eventually broke that relationship off this year after learning Baker was involved with another woman, attorneys said Thursday, and threatened to inform the other woman of their relationship.
Attorney Maura White said Rivera expressed concerns about Baker’s “adverse reaction” to the breakup and his continued attempts to contact her outside of work. Less than 48 hours before she was shot, Baker showed up at Rivera’s home uninvited after she told him not to come, White said.
* Back to the lawsuit…
This tragedy was not only the foreseeable result of Defendant BAKER’s willful and wanton conduct, but also the foreseeable consequence of the Defendant CITY OF CHICAGO’s (“THE CITY”) own negligence. THE CITY, through the Chicago Police Department, chose to continue to employ BAKER and keep him partnered with RIVERA, even after it knew (or, at a minimum, should have known) that BAKER had a lengthy record of misconduct, including complaints for domestic violence, an improper search and seizure, neglect of duties, insubordination, inadequate/failure to provide service, and conduct unbecoming of an officer.
In particular, THE CITY also knew or should have known—based on a prior complaint against BAKER from a woman who he was dating—that BAKER posed a particular risk of harm to women with whom he has, or has had, a dating relationship. At the time of her death, that included RIVERA, who had recently ended a romantic relationship with BAKER. At least two of BAKER’s CPD supervisors were aware of RIVERA and Defendant BAKER’s romantic relationship, and the risk to RIVERA’s safety. One or more members of CPD knew that BAKER and RIVERA’s relationship had ended, knew that RIVERA believed BAKER was a threat to her personal safety, and knew that RIVERA was eager to be transferred to a different CPD district away from BAKER or be reassigned to a different partner. Despite this knowledge, CPD chose to retain BAKER as a CPD officer and maintain his and RIVERA’s assignment as partners. In doing so, CPD exposed RIVERA to the foreseeable risk that BAKER would fail to provide aid or medical care to RIVERA in the event she needed it. And that is exactly what happened. BAKER left RIVERA suffering from mortal injuries, instead of coming to her aid or even calling for help.
Emphasis added.
Go read the rest.
- Andrea Durbin - Thursday, Dec 11, 25 @ 12:51 pm:
Calling it “friendly fire” sure seems like a slap in the face to the Rivera family given these shocking allegations. Do better, ABC.
- Dotnonymous x - Thursday, Dec 11, 25 @ 1:06 pm:
Those who could reasonably foresee the obvious threat to Officer Rivera and did nothing must be held to account…the thin blue line protects criminal police officers… until it doesn’t.
- Lincoln Lad - Thursday, Dec 11, 25 @ 1:07 pm:
Talk about cold-blooded… wow.
- Friendly Bob Adams - Thursday, Dec 11, 25 @ 1:10 pm:
This is a terrible accusation. I wonder though, wouldn’t the CPD have some way of assigning her to a different partner under the circumstances? I have no idea what the procedure is there.
- JS Mill - Thursday, Dec 11, 25 @ 1:11 pm:
=Antonio Romanucci, an attorney for the Rivera family,=
I am saddened to learn he is their attorney. They deserve better. From personal experience.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Thursday, Dec 11, 25 @ 1:15 pm:
People were so quick to blame this incident on the SAFE-T Act that the Chicago Police Department was calling it an accident and going after the suspect they were pursuing through the media within hours of officer Rivers’s death.
Carlos Baker remains on the Chicago Police Force, although he was stripped of police powers after assaulting civilian women while under the influence of alcohol.
Inexplicably, the Cook County State’s Attorney still has not brought murder charges against Baker. That’s in part because the immunity laws that protect cops when they kill a suspect also protect cops when they shoot their partner in the back, and then let them bleed to death. But that’s no excuse.
Burke should be ashamed. And Vallas, and every alderman who was posting ad nauseum in the days following Rivera’s death about the SAFE-T Act, “liberal judges” and “Blue Lives Matter” but have all now gone eerily silent.
This is this City Council’s “Laquan McDonald Test.”
- Think again - Thursday, Dec 11, 25 @ 1:19 pm:
Lots of “should’s” in the lawsuit - as for workplace personal relationships - of course, ” One or more members of CPD” knew the details. Like any workplace, office romances are the stuff of rumor and gossip - did their CPD admin know is what would really matter.
- Big Dipper - Thursday, Dec 11, 25 @ 1:20 pm:
Also Catanzara attacked the Sun-Times reporter who wrote a story about all of Baker’s red flags during his probationary period that CPD ignored.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Dec 11, 25 @ 1:32 pm:
===office romances===
All of that info above and you’re focusing on office romance gossip?
- Google is Your Friend - Thursday, Dec 11, 25 @ 1:46 pm:
Let’s not forget that CPD also purposefully reported false information about Krystal Rivera’s murder to the Illinois Department of Labor. The C in CPD stands for “coverup.”
https://illinoisanswers.org/2025/08/22/chicago-police-reported-officer-krystal-rivera-was-killed-by-an-armed-suspect-not-her-partner/
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Thursday, Dec 11, 25 @ 1:57 pm:
Receipts:
CPD falsely informed Illinois Dept of Labor Rivera was shot by suspect:
https://illinoisanswers.org/2025/08/22/chicago-police-reported-officer-krystal-rivera-was-killed-by-an-armed-suspect-not-her-partner/
Cook County Announces charges against fleeing suspect, and his criminal history:
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2025/06/08/freeport-man-charged-with-armed-violence-in-fatal-shooting-of-cpd-officer
Day of shooting: police chief reveals an officer discharged their weapon, Rivera was shot, fails to disclose she was shot by her partner:
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/36-year-old-female-cpd-officer-fatally-shot-after-investigatory-stop-police-chase/3761992/?amp=1
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Thursday, Dec 11, 25 @ 2:00 pm:
It’s not office gossip when one of the officer’s involved informs management and requests a transfer, which is what happened here.
- Jocko - Thursday, Dec 11, 25 @ 2:18 pm:
Ugh (exclamation point) Can we please amend (if not end) qualified immunity for law enforcement?
Carlos Baker literally had problems on day one, was improperly promoted (to TAC team) a year later, and was re-assigned to a partner who called his conduct into question.
- Amalia - Thursday, Dec 11, 25 @ 2:32 pm:
horrible. seems the officer should be charged. but some charges might still stick to the other defendants.
- Crispy - Thursday, Dec 11, 25 @ 2:46 pm:
This story has always raised more questions than it answered, even now that we know more of the facts surrounding the killing of Officer Rivera.
For instance, what accounts for the failure of Rivera’s supervisors with regard to her safety? Was it oversight, apathy, or animus? Was misogyny at play, or something else, or maybe a combination of things? Why did the thin blue line protect Baker but not Rivera? I initially wondered if he perhaps was very senior to her and therefore given deference, but an internet search shows they were both CPD cops for four years.
This guy had a terrible disciplinary record, including five complaints while he was still a probationary officer; why would he be given so many mulligans? Also, why has the judge still not allowed the release of the bodycam footage?
- JoanP - Thursday, Dec 11, 25 @ 4:02 pm:
= Lots of “should’s” in the lawsuit =
“Knew or should have known” is standard language in complaints.
- Duck Duck Goose - Thursday, Dec 11, 25 @ 4:25 pm:
Something seems off. According to the complaint (paras 80-84) Baker and Rivera were facing an apartment door. Baker was facing the door and Rivera was standing behind him. Baker kicked the door open to see the suspect pointing a gun at them. Baker fired his gun, somehow shooting Rivera in the back.
That does not comport with my understanding of physics. How do you shoot somebody standing behind you in the back? Something’s missing.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Dec 11, 25 @ 4:39 pm:
===How do you shoot somebody standing behind you in the back? ===
If she rushed in ahead of him, she would’ve been in front of him. Even the cops say he shot her in the back. Move along.
- Watchdog - Thursday, Dec 11, 25 @ 5:25 pm:
Attorney Antonio Romanucci was co-counsel with Ben Crump in the wrongful death case against Sangamon Co. when a deputy Sheriff killed Sonya Massey when responding to her 911 call in unincorporated Springfield.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, Dec 11, 25 @ 5:27 pm:
===How do you shoot somebody standing behind you in the back? Something’s missing.===
Yes, any non-ignorant person would note that hole in Mr. Romanucci’s complaint. We, the lowly general public, are left to speculate without access to the body worn camera footage.
Supt. Snelling said recently his sympathy is always with the victims. Well, Officer Rivera is a victim, a victim who wore the same uniform he does. His department has shown no sympathy for her, from before her body was even cold until today.
- Leslie K - Thursday, Dec 11, 25 @ 6:19 pm:
==That’s in part because the immunity laws that protect cops when they kill a suspect also protect cops when they shoot their partner in the back,==
There is nothing about this that has anything to do with immunity or qualified immunity.
- Roadrager - Thursday, Dec 11, 25 @ 6:49 pm:
Adding to the pile of not just suspicious behavior by Baker, but the behavior surrounding his superiors, don’t forget that gun buyback. The one with the mysterious disappearing Glock that ended up being used in multiple crimes across the city, and the one that had its inventory vouched for by someone who forged Krystal Rivera’s signature.
This story started to stink hard on day two and now it’s about a lot more than the apparent murder of one officer by another - something both Rivera’s family and their legal representation seem aware of. It is my hope we soon find out who in CPD was so eager to quickly and repeatedly save Carlos Baker from himself to keep him on the force, and why.