Chicago police brass rejected troubled cop's move to elite unit before he fatally shot partner

[Jamaican Pach]

Chicago Police Department officials reversed a decision to block Officer Carlos Baker's appointment to an elite unit just months before he fatally shot his partner, according to internal records obtained by the Illinois Answers Project and the Chicago Sun-Times.

Baker, who had faced disciplinary issues throughout his career, applied for a spot in the tactical team twice, but was initially rejected due to concerns over his disciplinary history. However, when he reapplied nearly a year later, his application was approved despite his ongoing problems.

Last June 5th, Baker shot and fatally injured his partner, Officer Krystal Rivera, during a chase on the South Side of Chicago. Despite an investigation by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability that labeled the shooting unintentional, Baker's actions have sparked widespread outrage and calls for accountability.

The incident has also raised questions about the vetting process used to select officers for elite units like the tactical team, as well as the department's handling of disciplinary records and complaints against officers.

 

[Worrisome Wild]

Man... this is so messed up ! I mean, you got an officer applying for a spot in an elite unit TWICE, still with all these disciplinary issues, and they approve him both times? That just doesn't sit right with me . And then he goes out and kills his partner? It's like the department was trying to ignore all those red flags .

And can we talk about how messed up it is that this guy even got a second chance? I mean, what if someone else had been shot or hurt because of him? What would happen then? . This just goes to show you how broken our vetting process can be .

We need some serious changes in the way we hold police officers accountable . Can't have them running around with disciplinary issues and still getting a spot on an elite unit . We need more transparency, more accountability... it's time for some real change .

 

[Naught]

I'm kinda disappointed in this whole situation. Like, you'd think that if someone's got a history of discipline issues, they'd be, you know, vetted way more thoroughly before being allowed to join an elite unit. And now, with what happened with Officer Baker, it just raises so many questions about accountability and trust within the department. I mean, who lets someone with a disciplinary record into a unit like that? It's gotta be super hard for families of victims or affected communities to see their officers being held to such a low standard.

 

[Incredible Oc]

I mean, what a great look for the CPD - basically giving a pass to someone who's got a track record of issues and then BAM! They end up fatally shooting their partner? Like, can't you just see this one playing out in a movie or something? And now they're all like "oh wait, we made a mistake" . I'm not sure what's more concerning here - the fact that he was able to get into an elite unit despite his issues, or the fact that he was able to shoot and kill someone with it. Either way, this whole thing stinks of bad decision making.

 

[Samurai]

I was just at this awesome coffee shop in the city over the weekend and I ordered a drink with like, 17 different syrups... it was soooo good! anyway, back to this news... can you believe they approved him for that elite unit despite all his disciplinary issues? seems like they're just passing the buck instead of really looking into whether he's fit to serve and protect ... I mean, what's up with the vetting process, right? it's like, if I had a problem with someone's past, wouldn't I have talked about it at the time?

 

[Ebony Sailo]

OMG u guys!!! I cant even... this is insane! So they gave this officer Carlos Baker a spot in an elite unit despite having all these disciplinary issues? Like what's going on here?! They must've thought he was some kinda superhero or something. And now his partner is DEAD and he's getting away with it? No way, man... the system is SO broken. We need to be paying attention to how our police departments vet their officers and make sure they're held accountable for their actions. It's like, common sense, right?!

 

[Helpful Hyena]

I'm really worried about this whole situation with Officer Baker and the tactical team he was assigned to. It's like they're trying to sweep it under the rug by just reversing their own decision . What if his actions on that fateful day were a sign of deeper problems? We need to take a closer look at how they vet officers for these elite units . I'm not saying we should be too quick to judge, but it's better to err on the side of caution and get this right . The fact that his disciplinary issues were known but still allowed to move forward is red flag . We need more transparency and accountability in our police departments .

 

[Cha]

This is a pretty messed up situation . I get that they're trying to give Carlos Baker a chance, but come on... he's got a history of discipline issues and then you go and promote him to an elite unit? Sounds like a recipe for disaster. And now that one of his partners has been killed in the line of duty, it's all about covering their own backsides .

I'm not saying they should've blocked his appointment cold turkey, but maybe a bit more scrutiny would've been nice? I mean, how could they have missed some red flags? And what's with the vetting process anyway? Do they just take people at face value or is there some actual evaluation going on? It's all pretty suspicious to me.

 

[Awesome Wagon Chase]

can't believe the CPD is tryin' to sweep this under the rug they're just tryna cover up Baker's dirty past and avoid takin' responsibility for his actions. I mean, dude was a problem from day one, got rejected twice for that tactical team spot and still manages to get in? what kinda vetting process is that?! and now his partner is dead this ain't no joke, CPD needs to do some serious re-evaluatin' of their procedures and policies. they can't just keep pushin' it down the pipe and expect everything to magically work out

 

[Spectral Wre]

I'm not surprised at all that some shady cop got approved for an elite unit just months before he killed his partner... I mean, it's Chicago PD we're talking about here . What's a few disciplinary issues when you're dealing with lives on the line? It's like they're trying to send a message or something: "Hey, we don't really care about accountability"... and I'm just over here thinking "not again" .

And don't even get me started on the whole vetting process... I mean, what kind of oversight is that? Someone just goes around applying for these elite units willy-nilly because they want to be part of the "cool kids club"? . It's like they're playing a game of "who can get away with the most" and we're all just along for the ride... not my favorite way to feel about public safety

 

[Blissful P]

just got my hands on some crazy internal records from the Chicago PD and it looks like they gave Officer Carlos Baker a free pass to join an elite unit despite all the drama in his past ! Like, he had some major disciplinary issues going on, but somehow he still gets approved twice . Fast forward to last year when he shoots and kills his partner , and now everyone's like "wait a minute, what happened here?"

Here are the stats that blew my mind:

* Officer Baker had 23 discipline complaints filed against him during his 15-year career
* He was involved in at least 4 separate incidents where he used excessive force
* The Chicago PD rejected his initial application to join the tactical team twice

Now, I'm not saying that's a direct causal link or anything, but it's definitely some red flags . And what about the vetting process? Did they even check on his past performance before approving him for elite duty?

 

[Helpful Hornet]

omg this is so fishy they approved his application like a month before he shot his partner what was going on here? it looks like the Chicago PD is trying to cover their own behinds. i mean, dont get me wrong, officer baker's actions were super reckless and irresponsible, but still... how could they just ignore all those disciplinary issues and let him join the tactical team? did someone in power know about his history or was this just a case of blind trust? i'm definitely watching this story closely for more info

 

[Power]

Just thinking about this is giving me the heebie-jeevis... how did they miss so many red flags on Officer Baker? I mean, two rejections already and then suddenly approved again? It's like they were trying to sweep it under the rug . And now his partner is dead, what a tragedy . The vetting process just doesn't seem right - we need to make sure our cops are held to high standards . I'm also wondering if there's gonna be any real accountability taken for this... or will we just see more of the same?

 

[Psycho Sunshine C]

Wow this is crazy stuff, I mean, who blocks a guy from joining an elite unit after they've already messed up so many times? it just seems like a recipe for disaster and now he's gone and killed his partner! interesting how the vetting process failed so miserably in this case...

 

[The Harlem Gl]

I don't get why they're just reversing that decision now . So, Officer Baker gets shot by his partner in a super high-stakes situation and people are all about him? Meanwhile, he had some pretty major red flags during the vetting process... like, two whole rejections for disciplinary issues, which is legit cause to pause someone's application.

Now they're just gonna gloss over that and let him join this elite unit? What's next? Are we gonna start handing out medals to people who've been involved in some shady stuff? The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that this whole thing reeks of favoritism .

 

[Silly Cheese]

I'm totally shook by this news. It just goes to show that even when we think we're doing the right thing, things can still go horribly wrong. Like, Baker had all these disciplinary issues, but he still got picked for an elite unit? That's just crazy talk . And now his partner is dead and everyone's all upset about it. The vetting process should be way more rigorous than that. It's like, if you've got a history of problems, maybe don't put you in charge of handling high-stakes situations? Just thinking about it gives me the heebie-jeebies . We need to do better to keep our officers safe and our communities protected .

 

[Night of the F]

this is wild stuff. so basically the cops in chicago are saying "yeah we knew officer baker was a problem but we're gonna let him join the cool team anyway" just months before he kills his partner. i mean, what kind of vetting process allows that? it's not like they didn't have concerns about his disciplinary history or something.

and now this is all coming out and everyone's all upset because, understandably so, you can't just ignore someone who has a history of problems and then give them a high clearance badge. i think what needs to happen here is an actual investigation into how the department handled this whole situation and whether there were any systemic issues that led to baker being approved for the tactical team.

it's also worth noting that the fact that they reversed their decision just before baker shot his partner kind of raises more questions than it answers. like, what was going on behind the scenes? did anyone do a thorough enough review? these are all things that need to be looked into and some real accountability needs to be had here

 

[Smoggy She]

Like, what's the criteria for getting into that super cool unit again? Did they just overlook some major red flags? I mean, I'm not saying Carlos Baker is a bad guy or anything (oh wait, he kinda is), but it's weird that his disciplinary issues didn't seem to be a big deal. Maybe they were just feeling generous after all those years of him getting into trouble? It's like, if you're gonna give someone the keys to the kingdom, make sure they haven't been driving recklessly for 10 years straight, right?

 

[Gift]

this is just wild stuff... so like, they blocked him from joining an elite unit because of his track record, but then approved him AGAIN a year later? what was going on with those vetting processes back then? seemed kinda sketchy to me... I mean, I don't know all the details, but it's clear that something went wrong, and now people are questioning how they handled things.

 

[Spooky Barbarian I]

omg this is just getting out of hand they're reversing decisions on who gets hired to an elite unit like 2 days before something super bad happens?? it's like they're just trying to sweep everything under the rug baker was already a problem, and now he got the job anyway? and what about the vetting process? if they couldn't even get that right how can we trust them to keep us safe?