New York, NY – An NYPD sergeant’s directive to fallen officer Jonathan Diller and his partner led to a fatal confrontation in Far Rockaway, Queens. The incident occurred when the sergeant spotted a man with what appeared to be a gun concealed in his hoodie last Monday. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny revealed details of the incident during a briefing at police headquarters in Manhattan on Wednesday.
According to Kenny, body camera footage indicates that suspected gunman Guy Rivera was seen walking to a Kia Soul that was illegally parked in a bus lane. The sergeant observed Rivera’s behavior and instructed Officer Diller and the driver of the police vehicle to investigate the situation involving the two men.
Queens prosecutors have alleged that before the shooting of Diller, an officer on patrol had noticed Rivera carrying what looked like a gun in the front pocket of his sweatshirt. Rivera, accompanied by driver Lindy Jones, got into the illegally parked Kia outside 19-19 Mott Ave.
The tragic event unfolded as a struggle ensued between Diller and Rivera over the car door, leading to Diller being shot in the abdomen. Despite wearing a bullet-resistant vest, the fatal shot struck below the vest. Subsequently, Diller’s partner fired at Rivera, hitting him once in the back.
Rivera, who faces charges of first- and second-degree murder in connection to Diller’s killing, is currently being held without bail. During the briefing, Kenny disclosed that the weapon used to kill Diller was a .380 semiautomatic pistol legally purchased in 1996 in Lynchburg, Virginia. Another gun, a 9mm handgun with a defaced serial number, was found in the Kia’s glove compartment.
Diller, posthumously promoted to detective first grade, served as a three-year NYPD veteran assigned to the Queens South Community Response Team. He is survived by his wife, Stephanie, and their 1-year-old son, Ryan. At Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where Diller was treated for his gunshot wound, NYPD deputy commissioner Kaz Daughtry emotionally recounted the moments leading to Diller’s passing.
Daughtry expressed regret, feeling somewhat responsible for the outcome, as he reflected on the optimism shared among hospital staff prior to Diller’s passing. The loss of Officer Diller highlighted the dangers faced by law enforcement officers in the line of duty.