Trial Update in NYPD Officer’s Death

On Friday, it became evident that Guy Rivera, the ex-con accused of fatally shooting NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller, will not be entering a plea. This revelation came as prosecutors presented emotional footage displaying Diller’s final moments.

Diller, a 31-year-old father, was heard gasping for air in the edited video shown in court, while fellow officers encouraged him to “stay with me” and “stay with us.” His widow, Stephanie, along with other family members, left the courtroom prior to the distressing video, though several attendees remained and were visibly overwhelmed with emotion.

Rivera, now 36, opted not to testify as his attorney submitted a brief to the jury in Queens Supreme Court, which included images of Rivera’s own injuries sustained during an encounter with police in 2024. Additionally, a video montage depicted the chaos outside in Far Rockaway while people sought refuge in nearby stores during the incident.

Prosecutors allege that on March 25, 2024, Rivera shot and killed Diller, a new father to a 1-year-old, while attempting to remove him from a suspiciously parked Kia Soul at a bus stop. A video captured another officer, Sgt. Sasha Rosen, reaching into her vehicle as someone shouted, “Hands out of your pockets,” right before gunfire erupted.

Footage from a street camera displayed Diller, in distress, shouting, “I’m shot, I’m shot,” as he fell near the car’s rear. Rivera exited his vehicle, seemingly prepared to shoot, before officers subdued him while he yelled, “Handcuff me!”

Diller’s body camera footage later showed responders frantically working to get him into an ambulance, urging him to hold on. He gasped multiple times before the video transitioned to his arrival at the hospital, where medical personnel hurried to assist him.

Rivera faces serious charges, including first-degree murder and attempted murder, which could lead to a life sentence without parole upon conviction. His attorney, Jamal Johnson, requested that a misdemeanor manslaughter charge be considered by the jury as a lesser offense, arguing the gun fired unintentionally when Rosen reached into Rivera’s car. Prosecutors, however, maintained that there was no evidence of negligence.

Closing arguments are set for Tuesday, with jury deliberations to follow.

The two-week trial included heart-wrenching moments, such as the testimony from Stephanie Diller and Diller’s partner, NYPD Detective Vekash Kedna. Kedna, emotionally recounting the scene, said, “I saw Diller lying on the floor…he was unresponsive. I thought he was dead. I started crying. One of my best friends had died.”