Rivera's family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against officer Carlos Baker and the Chicago Police Department. The family alleges Baker failed to attend to his partner after the shooting and that police personnel were aware of a volatile history between the two officers, who had been romantically involved.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability released body camera footage from Baker on Friday. The footage shows Baker and Rivera chasing a suspect identified as Adrian Rucker into an apartment building. In the footage, another man identified as Jaylin Arnold exits a room with a long gun in hand. Baker fired one shot, and Rivera fell to the ground.
I thought I was about to die in that doorway because action - as we're taught - action beats reaction. I dove out of the way and that was when I heard a 'pop'.
Baker asked if Rivera was okay and called for an ambulance, stating he could not get his partner. He checked on Rivera about two minutes later before additional units arrived. Colleagues transported Rivera to University of Chicago Medical Center in a squad car that crashed and caught fire due to a malfunction, according to Police Superintendent Larry Snelling. Rivera was then transported in another squad car and pronounced dead at the hospital. An autopsy found the fatal shot pierced Rivera's skin, traveled through both lungs, and wedged in her ribs.
According to Daily Mail - News, Carlos Baker described thinking he was about to die and that action beats reaction, so he dove out of the way and heard a 'pop'. Baker claimed he only realized he shot Rivera when he checked his service weapon at police headquarters and noticed a bullet was missing. According to Daily Mail - News, Carlos Baker described being lost, confused, and in denial that he fired his gun.
I was lost and confused. I was in denial that I even fired my gun.