A New York Police Department (NYPD) source has confirmed the identities of the two suspects involved in the fatal shooting of 31-year-old NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller during a Queens traffic stop.
The suspected shooter, 34-year-old Guy Rivera, has at least four prior arrests, while the driver of the vehicle, 41-year-old Lindy Jones, has at least 12 prior arrests, including one in April 2023 for a loaded firearm.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams expressed concern over the suspects' criminal history, highlighting the issue of recidivism.
No official charges have been announced in Diller's killing as of Tuesday morning.
According to NYPD officials, Diller and another officer were conducting a traffic stop in Far Rockaway, Queens when the suspects, parked illegally at a bus stop, refused to comply with officers' instructions and one of them pointed a gun at the officers.
Diller was tragically struck in the torso just below his bullet-resistant vest and succumbed to his injuries at Jamaica Hospital. His partner fired at the suspects, hitting Rivera in the back.
Rivera, who is expected to survive, had been with the NYPD for three years and had a significant arrest record. Diller leaves behind a wife and young child.
The suspected gunman, Rivera, had been released from a New York prison in 2021 after serving time for criminal possession of a controlled substance. He also had a prior prison term for first-degree assault.
Diller's death marks the first on-duty fatality of an NYPD officer since the 2022 shootings of officers Wilbert Mora and Jason Rivera in Harlem.
