Preparations are underway for services to honor the life of a New York Police Department (NYPD) officer who was recently killed in the line of duty.
Services will be held this week for 31-year-old Jonathan Diller, who joined the NYPD in 2021 and leaves behind a wife and 1-year-old son.
Former President Donald Trump is expected to attend the wake in Massapequa Park, New York, on Thursday.
Mr. Diller was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop in Far Rockaway in the Queens borough of New York City on Monday, March 25. The officer and his partner, Officer Veckash Khedna, approached a vehicle for parking illegally in front of a bus stop. The two suspects in the vehicle refused to roll down the car windows at the officers’ orders, the New York Post reported.
The passenger, 34-year-old Guy Rivera, instead opened fire on Mr. Diller and shot him in the stomach below his bulletproof vest. Mr. Khedna returned fire and struck the suspected gunman in the back. He also pulled the driver out of the vehicle and arrested him. That suspect was later identified as 41-year old Lindy Jones.
Mr. Diller was transported to the hospital where he later died from his injuries.
Both suspects have a lengthy criminal history.
Mr. Rivera, the passenger suspected of pulling the trigger, has 21 prior arrests on his record, according to the New York Post. He served five years in a New York prison for criminal possession of a controlled substance and was released in 2021. He also served prison time for first-degree assault in 2011 and was released in 2014, according to state records. After the shooting, the hospital discovered that the suspect stored a knife in his rectum after the shooting, a sign that he was prepared to go to jail again.
Mr. Jones, the driver, has 14 prior arrests. He previously spent seven years in prison for robbery and attempted murder. Just last year, he was arrested on a gun charge but was out on $75,000 bail.
“Less than a year, gun charge, he’s back on the streets. Same bad people, doing bad things to good people,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said at a news conference on Monday.
Trump Reacts to Tragic Death
In a post on his Truth Social platform, President Trump shared a tribute to the slain officer.
“To Officer Diller’s family, and all of the other brave men and women of law enforcement who put your lives on the line every day, we love you, we appreciate you, and we will always stand with you,” the former president wrote. He also called the suspected gunman a “murderous career criminal” who “NEVER should have been let back out on the streets.”
CBS News reported that in his three years with the police department, Mr. Diller made 70 arrests and had received several awards.
“President Trump is moved by the invitation to join NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller’s family and colleagues as they deal with his senseless and tragic death,” campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
Mr. Rivera faces possible murder and weapons possession charges.
Mr. Jones was charged with criminal possession of a loaded firearm and possession of a defaced weapon. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Law enforcement officers across the state are expected to attend the services to honor the life of Mr. Diller. Visitation will be held on Thursday and Friday at the Massapequa Funeral Home in Massapequa Park, New York. His funeral is planned for Saturday morning.
