Carlos Baker was referred to a program that subjects officers to intense oversight. Those who fail can face “severe” discipline or be fired. But Baker wasn’t enrolled before he shot Officer Krystal Rivera because a supervisor didn’t respond to an email.
Tom Schuba
Tom Schuba is a reporter and editor at the Chicago Sun-Times focused on criminal justice issues, and he previously covered the legalization of marijuana across Illinois. He has earned a National Headliner Award for a series of stories investigating the state’s troubled cannabis testing regulations, among other prizes for his reporting.
Posted inFollow-Up
After Chicago Cop was Shot, Frantic Search for Car Keys Delayed Care, Newly Obtained Video Shows
The rush to get Officer Krystal Rivera to a hospital was apparently delayed almost three critical minutes after she was fatally shot by her partner Carlos Baker, new records analyzed by the Illinois Answers Project and the Chicago Sun-Times show.
Posted inCriminal Justice & Public Safety
Chicago Cops Did Little to Probe Gun Stolen From Police Station and Used in Three Shootings, New Records Show
The Chicago Police Department fought to keep secret any details of its investigation into a Glock handgun that was taken from a room full of cops at the Gresham District station in late 2023. In the end, no one was charged, and no cops were disciplined.
Posted inFollow-Up
Chicago Police Officer ‘Inadvertently’ Fired Taser a Year Before Fatally Shooting His Partner
Officials have said Officer Carlos Baker unintentionally shot and killed Officer Krystal Rivera during a chase last June. He previously reported that he mistakenly discharged his Taser after a high-speed chase that ended in a seven-vehicle crash but didn’t immediately notify dispatchers.
Posted inFollow-Up
Chicago Police Brass Had Rejected Troubled Cop’s Move to Elite Unit Before He Fatally Shot Partner
Chief of Patrol Jon Hein approved Officer Carlos Baker’s transfer despite having denied his request for the move less than a year earlier because of “discipline’ problems.
Posted inFollow-Up
‘Where is Justice for Krystal?’ Mom of Cop Asks After Suing Chicago Police Department, Partner Who Shot Her
The lawsuit filed by Officer Krystal Rivera’s family says Officer Carlos Baker failed to call for an ambulance after he shot her in the back during a chase and then engaged in a “cover-up.”
Posted inFollow-Up
Family of Chicago Cop Killed in Botched Chase Sues Chicago Police Department and Partner Who Shot Her
Officer Krystal Rivera’s family says in the wrongful death suit that Officer Carlos Baker was struggling to accept her decision to end their romantic relationship when he shot her in the back in Chatham on June 5.
Posted inCriminal Justice & Public Safety
Feds Deployed Tear Gas on the Far South Side Even After Cops Told Them They Had No Gas Masks, Sources Say
Chicago police officials had offered to clear a path for the federal immigration agents so they could leave a tense scene of residents protesting the agents’ shooting of a woman.
Posted inCriminal Justice & Public Safety
Chicago Police Withhold Border Patrol Shooting Videos, Citing Probe of Chief Accused of Calling Off Cops
Patrol Chief Jon Hein faced a flood of criticism — from ex-cops, internet trolls and members of his own department — after his officers were ordered not to respond to the Oct. 4 shooting in Brighton Park.
Posted inFollow-Up
Chicago Police Told State Officials Officer Krystal Rivera Was Shot by an ‘Armed Suspect,’ Not Her Partner
After Rivera was killed in June by Officer Carlos Baker, officials told the Illinois Department of Labor she’d been gunned down by a barricaded suspect. The police still haven’t corrected that.
