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NYC cop, father of 1-yr-old, shot in cold blood by career criminal during traffic stop

March 26, 2024 | | Print Article

New York City mourned a young police officer who became the latest victim of Gotham’s mean streets after he was gunned down in cold blood by a career criminal during a traffic stop.

On Monday, Officer Jonathan Diller, a 31-year-old NYPD cop was killed in the line of duty in Queens when he approached the driver of a vehicle that was parked at a bus stop, falling to the ground after he was shot in the stomach in what officials describe as a “senseless act of violence.”

“He was moving, he was saying ‘I’m hit, I’m hit!’ Giving location and all that,” said witness Deon Peters, according to the New York Post. “Like he was crying, like he was really crying.”

Diller was rushed to Jamaica Hospital where he was later pronounced dead. The fallen officer who had been on the force for three years leaves behind a grieving family, including his wife and a one-year-old son.

“Tonight this city lost a hero, a wife lost her husband, and a young child lost their father,” NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban wrote on the X platform. “We struggle to find the words to express the tragedy of losing one of our own. The work that Police Officer Jonathan Diller did each day to make this city a safer place will NEVER be forgotten.”

“Our prayers are with his family, loved ones, and brothers and sisters in blue,” Caban said.

(Video: YouTube/CBS New York)

The incident occurred at around 5:50 p.m. when Officer Diller and his partner tried to remove the suspect, identified as 34-year-old Guy Rivera from the car near 19-19 Mott Avenue in Far Rockaway, according to officials.

During the confrontation, Rivera – who has an extensive rap sheet – pulled a gun and shot Diller, the bullet striking him under his protective vest. The mortally wounded officer was able to wrestle the weapon away from Rivera who was struck in the back by Diller’s partner who returned the gunfire.

The suspect, who has 21 arrests, was also taken to the hospital where he is in stable condition.

“He was asked to leave the car,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. “He was given a lawful order numerous times to step out of the car. He refused. And when the officers took him out of the car, rather than stepping out of the car, he shot our officer.”

“The gun hit the ground. And as the perpetrator was still reaching for it, this cop was able to grab it, although he was still shot,” Kenny added.

“We lost one of our sons tonight, and I am heartbroken for his wife, family, and all New Yorkers,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a post to X.

“Officer Jonathan Diller was just doing his job in Queens, working to keep his fellow New Yorkers safe, and a senseless act of violence took his life — a senseless act carried out by a dangerous individual with a gun and a total disregard for our people in uniform,” said Adams, a retired police veteran. “Let us come together in this devastating moment and pray for his family and our fellow officers.”

“Our hero police officer confronted this dangerous individual knowing that he was putting himself at risk, knowing that he had a family waiting for him at home,” PBA President Patrick Hendry said. “But he did it to protect the people of this city and we need every single New Yorker to be with this family.”

“Rivera was last released from a New York prison in 2021 after serving 5 years behind bars for criminal possession of a controlled substance, according to state records. His parole in that case ended last year,” the New York Post reported. “The accused shooter also served another stint in prison starting in 2011 over a first-degree assault charge before he was released in 2014, records show.”

Chris Donaldson
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