Chicago cop allegedly involved in 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 Baker's last name and phone number 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 been on 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.
"Officers on medical leave from the Chicago Police Department do not belong out investigating anything or representing themselves as active police officers. Full stop," said David Harris, law professor at the University of Pittsburgh.
Harris, who specializes in police issues and has no independent knowledge of the facts of this case, said the crux of this policy is public trust in police transparency.
"What is he doing investigating that? How can that be fair? And one thing the public wants, they want to see the appearance of fairness and they want to see fairness in action," Harris said. .
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. We know at least one complaint was sustained by COPA.