Family of fallen CPD officer Krystal Rivera demands independent investigation into deadly shooting

CHICAGO (WGN) – The family of fallen Chicago Police Officer Krystal Rivera is demanding an independent investigation, asking for Illinois State Police to step in.

“I need to understand what happened that night. I need to know the truth,” Krystal’s mother Yolanda Rivera said. “We have many questions that need to be answered.”

The Rivera family’s attorney Antonio Romanucci said the family wants to see cell phone records from that fateful June 5 night, along with the unedited body camera and dash camera videos and the personnel file for Rivera’s partner, who investigators said inadvertently fired the deadly shot that hit Rivera.

“We need to understand who he is, what his character was about and what his conduct was like as a police officer,” Romanucci said.

Rivera’s partner has not been charged with any wrongdoing, but Romanucci said CPD should not be investigating one of their own.

“Something isn’t right about the death and the claimed homicide of Krystal Rivera,” Romanucci said.

Rivera’s partner is currently on mandatory 30-day desk duty as CPD and the Civilian Office of Police Accountability conduct their investigation into what police commanders said was a tragic friendly fire incident.

“We are here asking Mayor Johnson and Supt. Larry Snelling for full transparency,” Krystal’s step father Rico Thompson said.

WGN-TV reached out to CPD and the Cook County State’s Attorney and Illinois State Police for comment, but has not heard back from either agency.