Bodycam Reveals Officer Rivera's Final Moments

Chicago released body-camera video on April 17 showing Officer Krystal Rivera being fatally shot by her partner during a June 5, 2025 foot chase in Chatham. (chicagocopa.org) The Civilian Office of Police Accountability said it had been blocked from releasing the footage since June 13, 2025 by a court order in *People v. Adrian Rucker*. That order was vacated on March 27, 2026, and COPA posted body-worn camera video, radio traffic, tactical response reports and case reports. (chicagocopa.org) Video from Officer Carlos Baker’s camera shows Baker and Rivera approaching a man outside an apartment building near 8200 South Drexel Avenue at about 9:50 p.m. Prosecutors said the man, later identified as Jaylin Arnold, appeared to have a large bulge under his jacket, and the officers chased him inside with guns drawn. (news.wttw.com) The chase ran up a stairwell to a second-floor hallway, where Arnold went into an apartment. Baker kicked in the door, another man appeared with a rifle, and Baker turned and fired one shot that struck Rivera, according to the released video and multiple local reports. (abc7chicago.com) The footage then shows Baker running up another flight of stairs and radioing “shots fired” and “10-1,” an emergency call for officer assistance. WTTW reported he waited about two minutes before going back to Rivera, while the Sun-Times reported he took more than 90 seconds before checking on her as she gasped for breath. (news.wttw.com) (chicago.suntimes.com) COPA said its investigation is still open. Baker has been relieved of his police powers, and prosecutors have described the shooting as an accidental or unintentional discharge in public reporting after the release. (news.wttw.com) (nbcnews.com) Rivera’s family sued Baker, the Chicago Police Department and the city in December 2025. The lawsuit says Rivera had ended an off-and-on romantic relationship with Baker shortly before the shooting and alleges he left her to die and tried to cover up what happened. (nbcchicago.com) (news.wttw.com) Baker’s attorney, Tim Grace, said Friday that Baker “did everything in his power and training” to help Rivera and “acted within the policies of the Chicago Police Department.” Grace also said the videos show the danger came from two armed men, one who fled with a handgun and another who pointed a rifle at the officers. (news.wttw.com) The release closes a 10-month fight over whether the public could see the footage at all. The investigation, the family’s lawsuit and the criminal case tied to the chase are still moving forward. (chicagocopa.org) (ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net)