Hundreds of NYPD officers descended on a Queens courthouse Wednesday as a suspect was charged in connection with the broad daylight killing of a police officer.
One of the suspects in Monday’s police shooting, Lindy Jones, 41, was indicted and charged with weapons possession.
Prosecutors said he had been found with a “ghost gun,” meaning its serial number was removed to prevent it from being traced, and he and the shooter were believed to be investigating a T-Mobile store.
The man police say pulled the trigger, Guy Rivera, 34, remains in stable condition in the hospital after victim officer Jonathan Diller, 31, shot him in the shooting.
Outside the town of Massapequa, Long Island, at the same time Jones was in court, about 1,000 officers lined the streets as Diller’s body was taken to the Massapequa funeral home.
Diller, a married father of a one-year-old child, was allegedly shot and killed by Rivera during a traffic stop. The death sparked an outpouring of response from the law enforcement community, with NYPD Commissioner Edward Cavan calling him a “hero.”
Lindy Jones, 41, was indicted and charged with weapons possession in connection with the shooting of a New York police officer.
Prosecutors said they had found him with a “ghost gun,” meaning its serial number was removed to prevent it from being traced.
Hundreds of NYPD officers descended on the Queens courthouse Wednesday to witness the arraignment.
Jones walked past Diller’s photo as he left the 101st Precinct on Wednesday.
Jonathan Diller, the young officer from Long Island, has been in office for just three years and leaves behind a young widow.
With Rivera still in the hospital, Jones was removed from Queens Supreme Court on Wednesday shortly before his arraignment.
It was heard on Wednesday that Jones, who has a record of 14 arrests, including a 10-year prison term for attempted murder dating back to 2003, has refused to speak to detectives since his arrest on Tuesday night.
Authorities say Jones was behind the wheel of a car that was illegally parked in front of a bus lane, prompting Diller and his partner to approach them shortly before 6 p.m. Monday.
After Rivera allegedly refused to roll down his window or show his hands, he opened fire on Diller, hitting the young officer under his bulletproof vest.
After Diller’s partner returned fire, both Rivera and Diller were rushed to the hospital. The officer was later pronounced dead, while Jones remains in stable condition.
At Wednesday’s hearing, prosecutors said Jones was charged with weapons possession and possession of a defaced firearm, meaning he used a ghost gun.
He was held without bail because officials cited Jones’ history of missing court dates in the past.
Prosecutors said a search warrant was issued for the vehicle involved in the shooting, in which a second firearm was discovered.
Investigators believe Jones and Rivera had been investigating a T-Mobile store before the shooting.
Horrifying surveillance footage captured the moment the young NYPD cop writhed in pain on the streets of New York after being shot.
In the new images, three loud gunshots are heard as passersby flee for safety.
Diller leaves behind a young widow, Stephanie, and a one-year-old son at their home on Long Island.
Surveillance footage captured the moment Diller was fatally shot after approaching an illegally parked vehicle.
Despite being shot, Diller heroically pulled the gun away from the shooter after he fell to the ground, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said during a news conference.
In footage of the shooting, the quiet street emptied in a matter of seconds when gunshots were heard.
Witness Dean Peters said Diller burst into screams of agony, adding: “He was moving, saying, ‘They hit me, they hit me!’ Giving location and all that.
“Like I’m crying, like I’m really crying.”
Tributes poured in for Diller after his sudden death, as he leaves behind his wife and young son.
“Tonight this city lost a hero, a wife lost her husband, and a little boy lost his father,” NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban wrote in X.
‘We struggle to find the words to express the tragedy of losing one of our own. The work that Police Officer Jonathan Diller did every day to make this city a safer place will NEVER be forgotten.
“Our prayers are with his family, his loved ones and his brothers and sisters in blue.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams called the shooting a “senseless act of violence” at a news conference outside Jamaica Hospital.
“I can’t help but say it more clearly: It’s the good guys versus the bad guys, and these bad guys are violent,” added Adams, a former police officer.
After Rivera’s arrest, it was learned that he has a long criminal history that includes first-degree robbery, illegal possession of weapons and assault.
Neighbors heard gunshots at 5:50 p.m., less than two blocks from the NYPD’s 101st Precinct precinct, before seeing the fatally wounded officer lying in the street.
Diller and a colleague were working in Far Rockaway as part of the New York Police Department’s Critical Response Team focused on automobile crimes.
He had 21 prior arrests and previously served five years in prison on drug charges before being released on parole in 2021.
Rivera had also been incarcerated from 2011 to 2014 on a charge of first-degree assault.
Jones had 14 previous arrests, including a conviction for attempted murder and robbery in 2003 that led to him serving 10 years behind bars.
He had been arrested on weapons charges last April, but was released on $75,000 bail that was due to bring him back to court on Monday.
Following Jones’ arrest in April, where he was caught with a loaded firearm, Mayor Adams said it was a prime example of a “recidivism problem,” meaning a small number of perpetrators committing a large number of crimes. .
“The same bad people doing bad things to good people,” Adams added.