Newly released and difficult-to-watch video from a police oversight agency has provided a clearer picture of the moment Officer Krystal Rivera was shot and killed by her partner while the two pursued a suspect through what one expert described as a “fatal funnel.”
The footage was published Friday by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability as part of its ongoing investigation into the June incident involving Rivera and fellow Chicago Police Department officer Carlos Baker.
In the video, the officers run after a man they believed was armed as he enters an apartment building in Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood at about 9:50pm. They follow the suspect up an interior stairwell, with Baker ahead.
Baker’s body-worn camera shows him forcefully entering an apartment. Inside, a man appears to flip a couch as another individual steps into view holding what looks like a long gun. Moments later, Baker turns back toward the hallway and fires once, striking Rivera, who is positioned behind him.
Baker’s attorney has maintained that the shooting was accidental, saying he “unintentionally discharged” his service weapon. The video shows Baker moving up a nearby stairwell while radioing that shots had been fired and requesting assistance.
“Squad, my partner’s hit, my partner’s hit, get me an ambulance now,” he says over the radio, also stating he cannot reach Rivera and asking that a SWAT team respond.
He remains in that location for close to two minutes before returning down the stairs to Rivera. She appears unresponsive as he pulls her farther from the apartment doorway.
When additional officers arrived, Rivera was transported for emergency care. Authorities have said the first vehicle used in the transport malfunctioned and caught fire, after which she was moved to another vehicle. Rivera, a mother of one, later died at the hospital.
A former CPD tactical officer told ABC that buildings like the one in Chatham can create a “fatal funnel” during high-risk entries. While CPD has characterized the shooting as unintentional, Rivera’s family has challenged that account.
Four months ago, the family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against CPD and Baker, arguing that the explanation of an accidental discharge does not pass “the smell test”.
They have also pointed to the officers’ past personal history, saying Rivera and Baker had been romantically involved. The family claims the relationship deteriorated after Rivera learned he was seeing other women, and that Rivera had asked the department to assign her a different partner.
NEW: Footage released of a Chicago officer shooting his female police partner, who had allegedly broken off their romantic relationship.
Prosecutors say Baker "accidentally discharged" his gun, while the female officer's family previously said the situation "does not pass the… pic.twitter.com/vovYJXPszX
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 17, 2026
The family has further alleged that not all relevant video has been made public, claiming portions were omitted while Rivera was bleeding and Baker remained seated on the stairs.
“This is NOT all of the body-worn video footage from the event. What has been released is a curated narrative meant to invent a false truth.”
According to the family, the relationship began in 2023 and continued on and off before Rivera ended it last year after learning about another woman. They also allege Rivera threatened to inform the other woman about Baker’s alleged infidelity.
The lawsuit additionally claims that fewer than 48 hours before the shooting, Baker showed up at Rivera’s home unexpectedly, despite her not wanting him there.
“Our hearts remain with fallen Officer Krystal Rivera’s family,” a CPD spokesperson said in a statement Friday.
“These videos are difficult to watch, and we remind members of the public that there is an active Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) investigation, which CPD continues to cooperate with. Due to this active investigation, we have no further comment.”
Although the local police union has supported Baker’s actions in the incident—which occurred roughly 11 seconds after the officers entered the apartment building—reports indicate he had previously faced multiple conduct investigations and has since been relieved of police powers.
“We reassert that Carlos Baker was unfit to be a Chicago Police Officer and that CPD put Krystal at risk by giving him a badge and a gun,” an attorney for the family said.
“More so, he failed in his duty to render life-saving aid to his Krystal after he shot her.”