QUEENS, NY – A “senseless act of violence” as described by officials, resulted in the tragic death of a 31-year-old NYPD officer on Monday evening. Officer Jonathan Diller, a husband and father to a 1-year-old son, was fatally shot during a traffic stop in Queens by a man with a substantial criminal record.
Diller, who had served three years on the force, was trying to extract the suspect, Guy Rivera, 34, from a car on Mott Avenue in Far Rockaway when he was shot in the stomach. Witness Deon Peters reported Diller voicing his injuries, crying out that he had been “hit.”
Following this, Diller was hurriedly transported to Jamaica Hospital in critical condition, where he tragically succumbed to his injuries. NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban lamented the loss of the officer, labeling Diller “a hero” whose immeasurable daily contributions to the safety of the city will always be remembered.
The fatal encounter began around 5:50 p.m., with officers approaching a car stopped near a bus stop. Rivera repeatedly refused a legal order to exit the vehicle. As an officer attempted to physically remove him from the car, he opened fire on Diller, landing a shot under his police vest, as disclosed by the authorities.
Remarkably, after being shot, Diller managed to wrestle the gun away from Rivera when it fell to the ground. Diller’s partner retaliated with gunfire, wounding Rivera who was then transported to Jamaica Hospital in a stable condition.
Both Rivera and the driver of the vehicle, identified as Lindy Jones, 41, were found to have criminal histories. Rivera last exited a New York prison in 2021 after completing a five-year sentence for controlled substance possession. He has also served time for a first-degree assault charge from 2011 to 2014.
Jones, undergoing trial for gun charges, was on bail amounting to $75,000 and was due in court on Monday. Mayor Adams categorized Jones’s case as the consequence of persistent offenders causing harm to innocent people.
As of Monday night, charges against Rivera and Jones had not been announced. The NYPD Chief of Detectives, Joseph Kenny, stated that the relationship between the two men was still being established.