Trump arrives at wake of slain NYPD cop Jonathan Diller, 31, after saying career criminal murder suspect should never have been on streets
Former President Donald Trump has arrived at the wake of NYPD officer Jonathan Diller.
Officer Diller was shot and killed in Queens during a routine traffic stop on Monday, with footage of the incident showing the cop screaming in pain as he died.
Just before 2pm on Thursday, the Republican presidential nominee was seen pulling up to the Massapequa Funeral Home on Long Island for Diller’s wake.
A funeral mass will follow at St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church, also in Massapequa, on Saturday.
On Wednesday, around 1,000 officers lined the streets of the hamlet as his body arrived at the funeral home.
The Republican presidential nominee was seen arriving at the Massapequa Funeral Home on Long Island
Officer Diller was shot and killed in Queens during a routine traffic stop on Monday, with footage of the incident showing the cop screaming in pain
Trump was invited to the event and a campaign spokesperson earlier this week said he was ‘moved by the invitation’.
Trump posted about Diller’s death on his Truth Social, offering prayers to Diller’s family and appreciation for law enforcement.
He also called the shooter a ‘thug’ and noted that police said Diller’s alleged shooter, Guy Rivera, had numerous prior arrests, declaring that he ‘NEVER should have been let back out on the streets.’
Diller, a married father of a one-year-old boy, was allegedly shot dead by Rivera, 34, during the traffic stop.
Rivera allegedly opened fire on Diller after he ordered the suspect to get out of the car.
Three loud gunshots are heard ringing out as bystanders flee for safety in footage of the incident.
‘I’m hit!’ Diller is heard yelling, while onlookers sprinted from the sound of gunshots. As the footage continues, Diller is heard screaming in pain.
Another suspect, Lindy Jones, 41, was arraigned and charged with weapons possession earlier this week.
Prosecutors said he had been found with a ‘ghost gun’ – meaning its serial number was removed to avoid it being traced – and it was believed he and the shooter were casing out a T-Mobile store.
Rivera, 34, remains in stable condition in hospital after he was shot by the partner of officer Diller in the shooting.
The death has sparked a huge response from the police community, with NYPD Commissioner Edward Cavan branding him a ‘hero.’
Suspect Guy Rivera was shot at the scene by Officer Diller’s colleague and taken to the same Queen’s hospital as the fatally injured officer
Another suspect, Lindy Jones, seen here, was arraigned and charged with weapons possession earlier this week
Surveillance footage captured the moment Diller was fatally shot after approaching an illegally parked vehicle
Commissioner Cavan wrote on X:’Tonight this city lost a hero, a wife lost her husband, and a young child lost their father.
‘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.’
New York City Mayor Eric Adams branded the shooting a ‘senseless act of violence’ at a press conference outside Jamaica Hospital.
‘I can’t not say it any clearer: It is the good guys against the bad guys, and these bad guys are violent,’ Adams, a former cop, added.
Following Rivera’s arrest, it emerged that he has a lengthy criminal history including first degree robbery, illegal gun possession and assaults.
Jonathan Diller, the young officer from Long Island, was just three years into the job and leaves a young widow and child behind
He had 21 prior arrests and previously served five years in prison on drug charges before being paroled in 2021.
Rivera had also been incarcerated from 2011 to 2014 over a first-degree assault charge.
Jones had 14 prior arrests, including a conviction for attempted murder and robbery in 2003 that saw him serve 10 years behind bars.
He had been arrested on gun charges last April, but was released on a $75,000 bail that was set to bring him back to court Monday.
Diller was the first New York City police officer to be killed in the line of duty in two years.
