Bodycam footage captured the tragic final moments of NYPD officer Jonathan Diller, who was fatally shot during an encounter with suspects in Far Rockaway, Queens. The incident occurred on Monday evening when Diller, a 31-year-old married new father and member of the NYPD Community Response Team (CRT), noticed a Kia Soul illegally parked at a bus stop in the area.
Accompanied by his partner and their sergeant, Diller approached the passenger side of the vehicle, where Guy Rivera, a 34-year-old career criminal, was seated. Simultaneously, Diller’s partner approached the driver’s side, where ex-convict Lindy Jones, 41, was behind the wheel. Diller’s instincts led him to investigate further, suspecting that something was amiss.
The officers requested the suspects to roll down their windows, but they refused. Diller then asked Rivera to remove his hands from his sweatshirt pocket, but the suspect resisted. Eventually, Jones unlocked the automatic door locks, allowing Diller to attempt opening the passenger-side door. However, Rivera prevented him from doing so, resulting in a struggle between the two.
After managing to open the door, Diller once again instructed Rivera to remove his hands from his pocket. It was at this moment that Rivera allegedly fired a single shot at Diller from a distance of approximately 2 feet, striking the officer in the stomach below his bulletproof vest. Diller can be heard gasping, “I’m shot!” on the bodycam footage.
In response, Diller’s partner fired two shots through the driver-side window, narrowly missing Jones and hitting Rivera in the back. Following the shooting, the sergeant and Diller’s partner lifted the gravely injured officer off the ground, where he was bleeding profusely, and placed him in their unmarked police vehicle. They then rushed him to Jamaica Hospital, navigating through traffic and even driving against the flow of some streets.
Rivera is currently hospitalized, while Jones is being held for questioning at the 101st Precinct in Queens. As of now, neither suspect has been charged in connection with the incident.
The actions of the officers involved have been commended by higher-ups, as they promptly transported Diller to the hospital instead of waiting for an ambulance. The NYPD’s CRT typically focuses on investigating vehicles with illegal license plates, window tints, and other quality-of-life issues.
