A career criminal accused of fatally shooting a New York City police officer in the abdomen during a routine traffic stop pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Tuesday morning, more than a month after the incident.
Guy Rivera, 34, was hospitalized after he allegedly fatally shot Officer Jonathan Diller, 31, when his fellow officers returned fire. When he appeared in court in her handcuffs, he still had a brace on his wrist and had visible scars on his face. He had a banged head and goatee and was wearing a white dress shirt and pink tie.
Prosecutors told Judge Michael Aloise that Rivera admitted to police at the hospital that his shin was hidden inside his body. They also asked the judge to remove Legal Aid lawyers from the defense, alleging a conflict of interest involving a potential witness in the case who was representing Legal Aid in matters sealed by the court.
Prosecutors also informed Judge Aloise that if Rivera is convicted, they will seek sentencing under the state’s “habitual felon” rule because of his extensive criminal history.
NYPD Jonathan Diller shooting: Guy Rivera charged with attempted murder in police attack
Murder suspect and ex-con Guy Rivera appeared in court on Tuesday, May 7th in Queens, New York City for arraignment. Sasha Rosen. (Fox News)
On March 25, a group of NYPD officers, including Diller, approached Rivera and his friend Lindy Jones, another ex-convict, in an illegally parked car in Far Rockaway, New York.
Prosecutors said Tuesday that officers saw a man come out of a store with a gun-shaped object in his front pocket, indicating he was in possession of an illegal handgun. I doubted it was possible.
Rivera refused the officer’s request to open the car window and instead pulled out a gun and fired from under Diller’s vest, aiming at the NYPD sergeant, police said. Sasha Rosen.
The two fought for control of the gun, but when Rivera pulled the trigger again, the gun jammed, police said.
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New York City Police Officer Jonathan Diller has a wife and a son who is almost 1 year old. (New York City Police Department)
Rivera suffered gunshot wounds himself during the fight and was taken to the hospital.
Police recovered another gun from Jones’ glove box with the serial number scratched off, prosecutors said. He is charged with felonious use of a firearm.
Both men have lengthy rap sheets and prior felony convictions. One had a pending felony charge, and both obtained firearms that they could not legally possess.
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Murder suspect and ex-con Guy Rivera appeared in court on Tuesday, May 7th in Queens, New York City for arraignment. Sasha Rosen. (Fox News)
Rivera has been arrested 21 times, nine of them for felonies, and was recently released on parole.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz previously said Rivera’s arraignment would take place as soon as he received a medical diagnosis.
“We are grateful that the grand jury returned significant charges against the defendant,” she said Tuesday. “Our thoughts go out to Detective Diller’s family, friends, and colleagues who continue to grieve. We will seek justice for him.”
Jones, 41, was found guilty. attempted murder According to the Queens District Attorney’s Office, he served time in prison in 2002 and had somehow been on the streets since last year despite having a pending felony firearms case.
Ex-convict Lindy Jones appears in court in Queens, New York, following the shooting death of NYPD officer Jonathan Diller. Guy Rivera, a passenger in Jones’ car, is accused of firing at officers during a traffic stop. (Pool via Richard Harbus of the Daily Mail)
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Mr. Diller died at Jamaica Hospital in Queens.
He had a wife and a one-year-old son.
News of his death sparked a nationwide outcry that grew even louder after details of the suspect’s criminal history were revealed.
Jonathan Diller, 31, a New York City police officer, was the father of a 1-year-old boy. He was accused of fatally shooting a violent ex-convict during a traffic stop. (Tunnel to Tower Foundation)
“Detective Diller was shot and killed while trying to remove illegal weapons from the streets. This is an act of lawlessness that is an affront to civilized society,” Katz said in a statement Tuesday.
Former President Trump attended a vigil on Long Island, and President Biden held a fundraiser for wealthy donors in nearby Manhattan.
Guy Rivera, the ex-convict suspected of shooting and killing NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller, appears in his mugshot. (New York City Police Department)
Rivera is being held without bail. If he is convicted, he could face life in prison without the possibility of parole. The judge set the next hearing for July 22nd.
Jones could face up to 30 years in prison on the gun charges. He will return to court on June 12th.
FOX News’ Julia Bonavita contributed to this report.
