The ex-con accused of gunning down an NYPD cop during a traffic stop this week was charged with murder and gun possession on Thursday, officials said.
Guy Rivera, 34, who was wounded in the deadly exchange that killed Police Officer Jonathan Diller, was arraigned via video feed from a hospital on charges of murder of a police officer, attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon, Queens prosecutors said.
Rivera was a passenger in a car idling at a bus stop around 5:50 p.m. when Diller approached and was shot in the stomach, police said.
The driver of the vehicle, 41-year-old Lindy Jones, was also arrested and charged with criminal possession of a weapon.
According to police sources, Diller and two other cops were questioning another man in an unrelated incident when they noticed Rivera walking “suspiciously” back to the car at a bus stop.
A sergeant at the scene began questioning the pair when Rivera allegedly opened fire, striking Diller under his bullet-proof vest.
Rivera and NYPD Sgt. Sasha Rosen then got into a life-and-death struggle over the murder weapon, with the accused cop killer firing off at least one more round while trying to shoot Rosen, a criminal complaint said.
Rivera still had his finger on the trigger when sources said that Diller — already mortally wounded — reached out and grabbed the gun from Rivera.
The officers returned fire, as Diller — already mortally wounded — reached out and grabbed the gun from Rivera, the sources said.Â
Diller was rushed to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Rivera, wounded in the incident, was also taken to the hospital, where he remained on Thursday after his arraignment.
Jones was later found to be concealing a shiv in his rectum.Â
“Police Officer Diller was a father, husband and son simply doing his job to serve and protect,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement. “He was killed for it.
“As alleged, the defendant opened fire and took the officer’s life and tried to shoot another member of the NYPD,” Katz said. “We will not rest until we have achieved justice for Officer Diller, his family and his brothers and sisters in the NYPD who put their lives on the line to protect us.”
Both suspects have long criminal records and have served stints in state prison, records show.
What to know about the fatal shooting of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller:
- Diller, 31, was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop in Far Rockaway, Queens, on March 25, 2024.
- Suspect Guy Rivera allegedly opened fire on Diller on Monday evening after the cop approached the vehicle Rivera was in for parking in front of a bus stop.
- Diller was shot once in the stomach below his bulletproof vest. The married father of a 1-year-old boy was rushed to Jamaica Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
- Rivera was wounded when Diller’s partner returned fire. The suspect has 21 prior arrests and was found to have a shiv stored in his rectum during the shooting — in apparent anticipation of being sent to jail again.
- Lindy Jones, the ex-con behind the wheel of the car during the shooting, was also arrested after a second gun was found in his car.
- Mayor Eric Adams has renewed his calls for Albany to address criminal recidivism following the shooting involving two suspects with lengthy criminal records.
Follow The Post’s complete coverage of fallen NYPD Officer Diller’s wake
The charges against Rivera come just hours before Diller, a 31-year-old married dad, was mourned at a wake in Massapequa that was attended by former President Donald Trump.
Rivera has 21 prior arrests and was on parole until last year after serving a five-year stint on a drug conviction.
How Post readers can help
You can help Officer Jonathan Diller’s 1-year-old son via the Silver Shield Foundation, which will help fund his future education. Diller, 31, was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Queens, leaving behind his wife, Stephanie, and baby Ryan.
The Silver Shield Foundation was launched in 1982 by late New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner for the families of NYPD officers and FDNY firefighters who lose their lives in the line of duty.
You can make a contribution at silvershieldfoundation.org/donate or send it to: Silver Shield Foundation, 870 UN Plaza, 1st Floor, New York, NY 10017.
Law enforcement sources said the two were believed to have been planning a robbery when Diller and other cops intervened.
The accused cop killer was ordered held without bail and is scheduled for a second court appearance on Friday, prosecutors said.Â
