Suspect charged in connection with death Chicago Police Officer Krystal Rivera appears in court

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The suspect charged in connection with the Chatham shooting death of Chicago Police Officer Krystal Rivera appeared in court Thursday.

The family of Adrian Rucker refuted claims from prosecutors that he pointed a gun at officers the night Officer Rivera was shot and killed by friendly fire.

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

Rucker's family is now pleading with authorities to release police body cam video that they said will vindicate him.

My condolences to her family, but my nephew is not responsible for her death," Adrian Rucker's aunt Monique Reed said.

Reed said her nephew is being used as a scapegoat by the Chicago Police Department. She spoke to ABC7 after Rucker appeared in court on a status hearing Thursday.

"I feel like he's being railroaded, right now," Reed said. He knows that I love him, and that we're standing ten toes behind him."

The 25-year-old was arrested and charged in connection to last week's death of fallen Officer Rivera.

According to prosecutors, Rucker was inside a Chatham apartment when police came in, chasing after an armed suspect.

"You're not just going to stand there because you don't know what's going on," Reed said. "He's inside of an apartment. He don't know what's taking place."

During that pursuit, prosecutors said police bodycam video and security video in the apartment captured Rucker pointing a rifle at officers from behind a couch in the apartment.

Rucker's family said he was never armed.

"Release the bodycam footage," Reed said.

Prosecutors said the officers then kept running after the first armed suspect outside of the unit, in the hallway. And that's where police said an officer unintentionally shot Rivera in the back during the pursuit. That was only shot fired that night.

Rucker ran outside, where he was later found hiding nearby. Police said he was not armed when he was arrested, but said weapons and drugs were found in the apartment.

Investigators said Rucker lives in Freeport, Illinois.

"The officers were never in pursuit of him," reed said. "It was someone else that still, to this day, they have not caught."

When asked about the police bodycam video, COPA said it's still investigating.

Chicago police wouldn't say if they're still searching for the armed suspect who officers were initially chasing that night.

Rucker is expected back in court on Friday.

A prayer vigil was held Wednesday night for Officer Rivera at the 6th District police station where she worked at 78th and Halsted.

INTERACTIVE SAFETY TRACKER Track crime and safety in your neighborhood