Durbin Honors Fallen Chicago Police Officer Krystal Rivera
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today entered a tribute to fallen Chicago Police Department Officer Krystal Rivera into the congressional record. Officer Rivera was killed in the line of duty on June 5, 2025. She served at the Chicago Police Department for four years, and she was a mother to a 10-year-old daughter, Bella.
“We know that our men and women in uniform are vital public servants. They shoulder an immense responsibility when protecting and safeguarding our communities… This is also why it is especially painful and tragic when one of our officers is lost in the line of duty,” Durbin wrote in his record statement. “It is with a heavy heart and profound sadness that I speak about the passing of one of Chicago’s own, Chicago Police Department Officer Krystal Rivera.”
Durbin’s full tribute as entered into the congressional record is below:
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin Congressional Record Statement on Passing of Chicago Police Department Officer Krystal Rivera
June 27, 2025
We know that our men and women in uniform are vital public servants. They shoulder an immense responsibility when protecting and safeguarding our communities.
Each morning, when our officers put on that uniform and badge, they head into the line of duty not knowing what the day may bring. They may be called on to run toward danger. Or they may be put in harm’s way.
But, despite the knowledge of this looming risk, our officers selflessly show up in service to others day-in-and-day-out, driven by a sense of mission larger than themselves.
So, I’m confident I speak for all of us in this chamber when I say a how incredibly grateful we are to our police officers for their service.
This is also why it is especially painful and tragic when one of our officers is lost in the line of duty.
Officer Rivera was killed in the line of duty on Thursday, June 5th of this year. She was just 36-years-old—her whole life still ahead of her—and leaves behind her 10-year-old daughter, Bella.
Officer Rivera was a 4-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, but called the city “home” for much longer.
The youngest of three sisters, she was raised in Humboldt Park by her loving and proud Puerto Rican parents, Yolanda Rivera and Eduardo Miguel Rivera.
Those who were fortunate to know Officer Rivera described her as a passionately protective spirit who loved boldly—a trait she no doubt inherited from her beloved mother, with whom she credited as her greatest motivation and inspiration in life.
Her father, too, shaped her immensely. A preacher, he imparted to Officer Rivera not just a deep love of God, but a profound sense of duty and devotion to family.
At 18, Officer Rivera initially planned to join the Army, but soon felt a strong calling to serve her community as a police officer—and serve she did.
While she served and juggled the demands of motherhood, she also pursued a separate goal. Her dream was to become a forensic investigator, a dream she actively pursued.
Because of the values she lived for, it should come as no surprise that, within the precinct, Officer Rivera earned the nickname “Mama 2”—one of two mother figures on the team.
And for Officer Rivera, family was family—blood or not. She had a loving heart and touched countless lives.
Officer Rivera’s funeral was held earlier this week and hundreds of her fellow officers, friends, and family came out to pay their respects because that’s the kind of person she was. That’s the impact she left.
And while she held many titles in life—daughter, officer, and “Mama 2”—none were more important to Officer Rivera than the one she cherished most: “Bella’s mom.”
Her daughter, Bella, was her biggest priority in her life, and she poured all of herself into being her mom. In doing so, she gave Bella those same values her parents gifted her—values I’m confident Bella will carry with her as she continues through life.
And so, I want to close with a story about Bella. This story was originally shared at the service for Officer Rivera earlier this week where she was laid to rest. It’s worth recounting.
On the night of her mother’s tragic passing, Bella looked Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling in the eye and asked him one simple question: “Was my mom a good police officer?”
Officer Snelling responded, “Your mom was an exemplary police officer. She was magnificent because, what I’ve often said about being an exemplary police officer, you first have to be an exemplary human being.”
To Bella, I’d like to say: your mother wasn’t just a good police officer. She was a great one. And she wasn’t just a good mother. She was an exceptional one.
To lose your mother at that age must be an incredible pain. But, Bella, while painful, I hope you find comfort in her memory.
Find comfort in remembering her kind smile and warm embrace. And find comfort knowing that, while she may be gone, she lives on through you—her sweet Bella—as you continue your own journey through this great ride called life.
My wife, Loretta, and I send our deepest condolences to Officer Rivera’s family, including her mother, Yolanda; her sisters Jacqueline and Yasmin; and her stepfather, Roderick, along with Bella.
May God watch over you and wipe your tears during this difficult time, and may he continue to guide you today, tomorrow, and forevermore.
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