Chicago Police Officer Krystal Rivera remembered by community after fatal Chatham shooting on South Drexel Avenue during operation
Share this @internewscast.com

The community in Chicago is mourning a 36-year-old mother and police officer who, according to the Chicago Police Department, was shot and fatally wounded by a fellow officer during a tactical operation this week.

The Chicago Police Department has confirmed that the firearm discharge, which resulted in Officer Krystal Rivera’s death on Thursday night in Chatham, was accidental. This occurred as officers attempted to apprehend an individual suspected of being armed.

ABC7 spoke to a pastor at the church Rivera attended.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Pastor Daniel Cruz recalls the last time Officer Krystal Rivera attended a service at his Faithworld Church. She appears in a brief church video captured during 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.

“That officer is in a very, very tough place, unimaginable what that officer has to be feeling right now,” Snelling said.

Several people, including the person who allegedly aimed a rifle at officers, remain 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.

INTERACTIVE SAFETY TRACKER Track crime and safety in your neighborhood

Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Illustration of the Poseidon underwater drone.

Putin’s Main Spokesperson Warns of “Radioactive Tsunami” with Nuclear Torpedoes as Trump Approves Arms for Ukraine

PUTIN’S chief propagandist has warned Russia could wipe out both coasts of…
California clinic staffers seek to shield ICE agents from detaining Honduran landscaper

California Clinic Employees Strive to Protect Honduran Landscaper from ICE Detention

At a surgical center in California, staff members were recorded on video…
Armed men in black tactical gear aboard a ship.

Houthis Stage a Fearsome Comeback in the Red Sea, Contradicting Trump’s Claim They ‘Don’t Want to Fight’

THE Houthis have mounted a terrifying return to scourge the Red Sea…
Photo of a man and his granddaughter.

Granddaughter’s Desperate Appeal After Grandfather Disappears Following 8,000-Mile Journey for Her Graduation

A grandfather vanished just a day after undertaking a journey of over…
Trump and George Soros have this in common: Scott Bessent

Scott Bessent Highlights a Commonality Between Trump and George Soros

President Trump and left-wing billionaire George Soros have more similarities than previously…
Casey Anthony on a date at a bar.

Casey Anthony, Dubbed ‘Most Hated Mom in America,’ Seen in ‘Situationship’ with Former Cop and Gun Shop Owner

CASEY Anthony is back in the spotlight, this time sharing beers with…
Chicago heat wave 1995: South Loop organizers remember victims 30 years later, advocate for vulnerable Chicagoans

Remembering the 1995 Chicago Heat Wave: South Loop Group Honors Victims and Supports At-Risk Residents 30 Years On

CHICAGO (WLS) — Some warnings and procedures about extreme heat did not…
Mandatory evacuation orders in effect as 1,000-acre wildfire threatens Grand Canyon's North Rim

Evacuation Orders Issued as 1,000-Acre Wildfire Nears Grand Canyon’s North Rim

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is temporarily closed as mandatory…
Son of ‘El Chapo’ expected to plead guilty in drug trafficking case in rescheduled hearing

‘El Chapo’s Son Likely to Admit Guilt in Drug Trafficking Case at Rescheduled Court Hearing’

CHICAGO (AP) — Ovidio Guzman Lopez, one of the sons of infamous…
Mugshot of a man in a yellow shirt.

Justin Mohn Convicted of Murdering Father and Posting Disturbing Video Online

A SICK man who slashed his dad’s head with a machete and…

Tragic Loss: TikTok Influencer Aldo Miranda, 32, Discovered Dead at His Residence; Last Emotional Post Surfaces

TIKTOK star Aldo Miranda has died at 32 after sharing a devastating…
Photo of Carolina Wilga at a petrol station.

Backpacker Carolina Winger, 26, Found Alive After Nearly Two Weeks Lost in Australian Wilderness

A GERMAN backpacker missing for nearly two weeks in the remote Australian…