MASSAPEQUA, N.Y. — Thousands lined up to pay their respects at the funeral for fallen NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller Saturday on Long Island.
The service started at St. Rose of Lima Church in Massapequa, where Diller was posthumously promoted to detective first grade by Police Commissioner Edward Caban.
The church was packed with New York City leaders and fellow officers. Mayor Eric Adams and PBA President Patrick Hendry also delivered remarks.
Diller’s wife, Stephanie, found the strength to share an inside look at her life with her husband, whom she said was her best friend. She recounted the time they met, the day of their wedding, and the day their now 1-year-old son, Ryan, was born.
Before the service, a long procession made its way from the funeral home in Massapequa Park to the church.
Police said Diller, 31, and his partner were conducting a traffic stop for an illegally parked car in Far Rockaway, Queens on Monday afternoon when someone in the vehicle pulled out a gun and pointed it at the officers. Police said there was an exchange of gunfire, and Diller was struck in the torso below his bullet-resistant vest.
Diller was rushed to a local hospital, where he later died.
Police said Diller was with the NYPD for three years and worked with the department’s Community Response Team in Queens. He grew up in Franklin Square and lived in Massapequa Park with his wife and son.
Hundreds attended wakes for Diller on Thursday and Friday. Former President Donald Trump, Gov. Kathy Hochul and other state and local officials were among the mourners who paid their respects.
Support for Diller’s family has been pouring in from across the area. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation announced it will pay off the mortgage on the Diller family’s home, and other organizations have made donations to cover funeral costs and Ryan’s future education.
The alleged gunman, identified as 34-year-old Guy Rivera, has been charged with first-degree murder of a police officer, attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon. He was also injured in the shooting and remains in the hospital.
The alleged driver of the vehicle, Lindy Jones, has been charged with criminal possession of a loaded firearm and possession of a defaced weapon. CBS New York learned that at the time of the traffic stop, Jones was out on $75,000 bail for a prior weapons offense.
