Chicago Police Officer Krystal Rivera remembered by community after fatal Chatham shooting

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The community is remembering a 36-year-old mother and Chicago police officer who the Chicago Police Department said was shot and killed a fellow officer during a tactical operation this week.

CPD confirms another officer unintentionally fired the shot that killed Officer Krystal Rivera Thursday night in Chatham as officers tried to stop someone who was believed to be armed.

ABC7 spoke to a pastor on Saturday at the church Rivera attended.

Meanwhile, Chicago's top cop said the officer who shot and killed Officer Rivera is dealing with difficult emotions, and he's urging the public not to draw conclusions about how Rivera died.

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Pastor Daniel Cruz remembers the last time Chicago Police Officer Krystal Rivera attended service at his Faithworld Church. She can be seen in a short church recording of a worship service.

"She was sharing how she wants her daughter to also just really get to know the faith," Cruz said.

The Northwest Side church had been her church home for nearly 20 years.

"We were completely shocked. I don't think I've wept as much in recent months as I did after I heard the news... that she had passed away," Cruz said.

Officer Rivera died Thursday night after police officials said she was unintentionally shot and killed by another officer as they encountered an armed person during a foot pursuit in the 8200 block of South Drexel Avenue in the city's Chatham neighborhood.

Saturday afternoon, while at an unrelated event, Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling held a moment of silence for the slain officer while asking for prayers for the other officer involved, urging the public not to rush to judgement.

"That officer is in a very, very tough place. Unimaginable what that officer has to be feeling right now," Snelling said. "There may be things that an officer sees that no one else knows at the time, and a lot of times there are assumptions made, and we don't want to assume anything. This is why we always gather the facts."

Though national numbers on so-called "friendly fire" or "blue-on-blue" deaths are hard to come by, The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund says from 2020 to 2024 of the 273 firearms-related officer deaths , only eight were categorized as inadvertent or accidental shootings, less than 3%.

ABC7 Law Enforcement Expert Derek Mayer, a former high-ranking official with the U.S. Secret Service Chicago Field Office, said CPD will conduct a thorough review.

"A blue-on-blue shooting can happen, and unfortunately it happens more than it should," Mayer said," Every day, I can tell you this, law enforcement is learning from past actions, and they are improving, and we're getting better in law enforcement."

Superintendent Snelling said any information gained from a review of what occurred will help inform future training of officers.

Meanwhile, a suspect who allegedly aimed a rifle at officers remains in police custody.

Rivera, a four-year veteran of the force, was assigned to a 6th District tactical team. She was also single parent to a young daughter whose birthday party is this weekend.

Those who knew Officer Rivera said she had sweet spirit and a servant's heart.

"When we were talking to Krystal two weeks ago, she was telling us that one of her greatest joys was doing what she's doing right now, that was her greatest joy," Cruz said.

According to the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation, seven other Chicago police officers have been killed in the line of duty since 2018.

While many in the city mourn the loss of another Chicago police officer, Pastor Cruz wants Officer Rivera to not only be remembered as one of Chicago's finest, but also as a loving mother, daughter and sister who dedicated her life to others.

"I try not to focus on how she died, but how she lived, and she just was a precious soul," Cruz said.

Several officers killed in last two years

Rivera is the fifth Chicago police officer shot and killed since 2023.

Officer Enrique Martinez, 26, was shot and killed during a traffic stop last November in East Chatham.

The suspect in the case is charged with first-degree murder.

Officer Luis Huesca was shot and killed in Gage Park, in April 2024.

The 30-year old was driving home after his shift, when he was ambushed.

The suspect was arrested after a 10-day manhunt and faces numerous charges.

Officer Aréanah Preston, 24, was killed in May 2023. She was shot in an attempted robbery in Avalon Park, as she returned home after her shift.

Four men are charged with her murder.

Officer Andres Vasquez Lasso was shot to death in March of 2023. The 32-year old was responding to a domestic violence incident in Gage Park.

A suspect was arrested and charged.

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