By Kayleigh Anderson
The man accused of killing a New York City police officer from Long Island was indicted on murder charges.
Guy Rivera was charged with murder, attempted murder, four counts of criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal possession of a weapon. Rivera pleaded not guilty to these charges.
As previously reported in Long Island Life and Politics, on March 25, Diller, of Massapequa Park, was shot in the stomach by Rivera. An officer had witnessed Rivera leaving a store with Lindy Jones and had a suspicion that Rivera had a gun in his front pocket.
Diller and other officers confronted the 2016 Kia Soul that Rivera had been parked in. After Rivera refused to roll down his window, officers reached for the door handle. Before the car door could be opened, Rivera pulled out his gun and shot Diller. Rivera then motioned to shoot Sergeant Sasha Rosen, who was alongside Diller, but the gun jammed and was unable to fire. Diller was brought to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The following day, the Queens County District Attorney’s office and the 101st Police Precinct obtained a court-authorized search warrant for the vehicle. They found a 9-millimeter pistol inside the glove compartment. The firearm was found to be defaced, with the serial number scratched off.
Rivera, 34, of Woodside, is being represented by Jamal Johnson. Long Island Life and Politics reached out to Johnson for comment but did not hear back as of press time. LILP also reached out to the NYPD, but they did not respond as of press time..
Rivera will return to court on July 22, 2024, where he will face up to life in prison without parole if he is convicted of these charges.
“Detective Diller was shot and killed while trying to rid our streets of illegal weapons, a lawless act that was an affront to a civilized society. His tragic death is a painful reminder that we must never let up in our quest to get these guns and those who use them off of our streets,” said Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz.
“We are grateful that the grand jury returned serious charges against the defendant. Our thoughts are with Detective Diller’s family, friends and colleagues as they continue to grieve,” Katz continued. “We will seek justice for him.”