Recently Released Bodycam Footage Shows How a Police Officer Shot His Own Partner in Chicago

In an unexpected incident in Chicago, a police officer shot his partner while they were chasing a suspect on the run. The recently released bodycam footage of the accused police officer from the Chicago Police Department showed the moments leading up to the fatal shooting, which took place in June last year.

Carlos Baker, a 36-year-old police officer with the Chicago Police Department, along with his partner, Krystal Rivera, a 36-year-old officer with the Chicago Police Department, were chasing a suspect through an apartment building in the Chatam neighbourhood. At around 9:50 at night on June 5th, 2025, while they were in pursuit of the suspect, Baker shot Rivera. The police have described the incident as a fatal accident.

However, the victim’s family has disputed the claim made by the police and has filed a wrongful death suit against Baker and the Chicago Police Department. The lawsuit claims that Baker failed to attend to his partner and that the police personnel were aware that there was a volatile history between the two. Both Baker and Rivera have been romantically involved previously.

On April 17, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability released Baker's bodycam footage. The footage showed Baker and Rivera getting out of the vehicle and running towards a man outside of an apartment building, demanding that he freeze and raise his hands. The footage further shows the suspect ducking into the building and bounding up the stairs, with both Baker and Rivera pursuing close behind.

As Baker made it up the stairs with Rivera at his tail, the suspect ducked into an apartment. The suspect was later identified as Adrian Rucker. Baker then goes on to break down the door, as the suspect proceeded to flip over the couch. At that point, another man, later identified as Jaylind Arnold, was seen exiting the room with a long gun in his hand. Baker appeared to react quickly, turning and firing one shot, which hit Rivera, and she was seen falling on the ground.

Meanwhile, Baker was seen running up the stairs, catching his breath before asking if Rivera was okay. Baker asked, “Krystal, are you okay?” When he did not receive an answer, Baker was heard calling for an ambulance and asserting, “I can’t get my partner.” He also asked another resident of the building to call 911. But just two minutes later, Baker was seen going to check on his partner, before the additional units arrived at the scene, to transport her to the hospital. Rivera was pronounced dead at the hospital.

According to the reports of the Chicago Tribune, the autopsy report stated that the shot fired by Baker pierced Rivera’s skin, traveled through both her lungs, and landed in her ribs.

When Baker was questioned later about the incidents of the night, he told the investigators, “I thought I was about to die in that doorway, because action, as we are taught, action beats reaction. I dove out of the way, and that was when I heard the ‘pop,' Baker said, according to the transcript obtained by the Chicago Sunday Times.

Baker also claimed that he only realized he was the one who shot Rivera when he checked his service weapon back at the department and noticed a bullet was missing. “I was lost and confused. I was in denial that I even fired my gun,” Baker accounted.