According to authorities, Guy Rivera, aged 34, discharged a firearm at Officer Jonathan Diller, aged 31, following instructions to exit an unlawfully parked vehicle in Queens.
On Tuesday, a 34-year-old man named Guy Rivera found himself in police custody following the tragic shooting of Police Officer Jonathan Diller during a routine traffic stop in Queens. The incident unfolded in Far Rockaway around 6 p.m. on Monday when Officer Diller and his partner approached an SUV parked illegally with Rivera seated in the front passenger seat.
According to police reports, Rivera refused to comply with officers’ requests to exit the vehicle and instead fired his weapon through the passenger window. Tragically, Officer Diller, 31, was struck in the torso just below his protective vest by Rivera’s shot.
In response to the threat, Officer Veckash Khedna, Diller’s partner, returned fire, shooting Rivera in the back. Another individual, Lindy Jones, 41, was found in the driver’s seat of the vehicle and was taken into custody following the incident. However, Jones has not been arrested or charged in connection with the shooting.
Rivera underwent surgery at Jamaica Hospital and is expected to survive. However, due to his medical condition, he has not yet been formally arrested or charged in Officer Diller’s killing, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the case.
It has been revealed that Rivera has a history of run-ins with the law, with 21 prior arrests on record, including charges of first-degree robbery, attempted assault, and drug trafficking. These details shed light on Rivera’s criminal background and raise questions about his motives in the tragic shooting of Officer Diller.
According to both police reports and internal documentation, Mr. Jones was apprehended on a firearm-related charge last year. Additionally, records from the Corrections Department reveal that he served a seven-year prison sentence for first-degree robbery and attempted murder.
Upon receiving news of the shooting on Monday evening, Mayor Eric Adams hurried to Jamaica Hospital, where Officer Diller, a married man with a young son, was tragically pronounced dead. At a press conference the following day, Mayor Adams expressed his sorrow over the loss, emphasizing his desire to remember Officer Diller as more than just a badge number.
Reflecting on his time spent consoling the officer’s wife at the hospital, Mayor Adams drew parallels to his own family’s concern for his safety during his tenure as a police officer. He condemned the shooting as an act of senseless violence.
The tragic killing of Officer Diller was just one of two devastating events Mayor Adams faced that night. Shortly after announcing Officer Diller’s death, the police revealed another horrifying incident: a 24-year-old man had pushed another individual off a subway platform in East Harlem, resulting in their death. The perpetrator, Carlton McPherson, 24, was subsequently charged with murder.
These incidents reignited concerns among some New Yorkers about public safety, despite overall crime rates decreasing across the city. While murders and shootings have decreased by nearly 18% compared to the previous year, fears persist.
The 101st Precinct, where Officer Diller served, has seen a relatively stable or decreasing number of arrests for serious crimes. However, felony assaults have seen an uptick, with 73 reported cases compared to 41 during the same period last year.
On Monday night, Mayor Adams, Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban, and numerous other officials from the police department and city unions paid their respects to Officer Diller. They formed a solemn line extending from the hospital corridors to the parking lot outside, illuminated by the flashing lights of police vehicles.
As Officer Diller’s body was respectfully wheeled out on a gurney by members of the emergency services unit, draped in a Police Department flag, firefighters, state troopers, and additional police officers lined the route as his convoy made its way to the Office of the City Medical Examiner. The somber procession served as a poignant tribute to the fallen officer’s service and sacrifice.
Commissioner Caban expressed gratitude in a social media post to everyone who assisted in ensuring that Jonathan was transferred with the utmost respect befitting his service.
The tragic loss of Officer Jonathan Diller on Monday marked the first such incident since January 2022 when New York police officers Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora were fatally shot while responding to a domestic disturbance call in Harlem.