2 days ago
Chicago cop allegedly involved Wicker Park bar fight sought video of attack before investigators
Already under investigation for the on-duty shooting of his partner Krystal Rivera, Chicago Police Officer Carlos Baker may have misrepresented himself and violated department policy in the aftermath of a bar fight in Wicker Park last weekend.
Baker is being investigated by the Chicago Office of Police Accountability after police were called to DSTRKT Bar and Grill on North Milwaukee Ave. around 11 p.m. Sunday where a 29-year-old woman, also an off-duty police officer, alleged she was attacked by multiple people including fellow officer Baker.
While reporting on the initial incident, CBS News Chicago learned from an employee at a neighboring business that Baker called their shop, identified himself as a police officer investigating the bar fight — in which he is actually listed as a suspect — and asked for access to the surveillance cameras.
The employee showed CBS News Chicago the business' caller ID, which showed a name matching Baker's mother and a time stamp, 3:01 p.m. Wednesday, as news was breaking about the bar fight.
When a CBS News Chicago reporter called the number and left a voicemail, she promptly received a call back by a man who identified himself as Carlos Baker. He asked if "our restaurant" cameras are working and if they had video of the Sunday night incident.
When told he was speaking to a reporter, Baker hung up.
Baker has ben on administrative leave from CPD since June, when police said he accidentally fatally shot Rivera during a foot chase during a tactical operation.
Baker was never charged criminally for Rivera's death, but was placed on paid administrative leave per department protocol.
Chicago police say Baker is now on medical leave but has not been stripped of his police powers. He still has his badge and service weapon, but any officer on medical or administrative leave cannot participate in police investigations.
CBS News Chicago Investigators have found at least 10 complaints filed against Baker since he was hired in 2021, which include a variety of allegations ranging from excessive force to improper stops and unprofessional behavior.
