Suspected NYC cop-killer stashed shiv in body cavity in case he needed it that night: police source
The ex-con suspected of killing an NYPD cop was so conditioned to crime that he had a shiv stashed in his rectum that night — anticipating he might be busted for something, a police source said Tuesday.
Guy Rivera, 34, was in the passenger seat of a Kia Soul around 5:50 p.m. Monday in Far Rockaway, Queens, when a couple of NYPD “quality-of-life” cops, including Officer Jonathan Diller, spotted it illegally parked in a bus stop, the high-ranking source said.
An ensuing confrontation left Diller, a 31-year-old married dad, dead — allegedly shot through the stomach by Rivera.
Rivera was wounded when the cop’s partner returned fire, and he was taken to the hospital, where an X-ray revealed he had a homemade shiv — a sharp razor or smallish knife — hidden in his butt, the source said.
Cops believe he had the weapon — which was shorter than 4 inches and therefore not illegal — because he expected he could be arrested for a crime that day and wanted it for self-defense if he went to jail, the source said.
It wasn’t clear what kind of crime he might have been allegedly contemplating.
But the source noted that video from the scene showed him and the Kia’s driver — Lindy Jones, 41, another hardened career criminal nicknamed “Killa” — parked in front of a T-Mobile store at the time for more than 10 minutes.
How Post readers can help
You can help Officer Jonathan Diller’s 1-year-old son via the Silver Shield Foundation, which will help fund his future education. Diller, 31, was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Queens, leaving behind his wife, Stephanie, and baby Ryan.
The Silver Shield Foundation was launched in 1982 by late New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner for the families of NYPD officers and FDNY firefighters who lose their lives in the line of duty.
You can make a contribution at silvershieldfoundation.org/donate or send it to: Silver Shield Foundation, 870 UN Plaza, 1st Floor, New York, NY 10017.
“It’s possible they were casing somebody or something on that commercial strip,’’ the source said.
Diller was the first to spot the men illegally parked and felt something was amiss, the source added.
“The cop had very good instincts. We believe they interrupted something, we just don’t know what,” the source said.
Neither Rivera nor Jones had been charged in Diller’s death as of Tuesday.
Rivera has 21 priors arrests, apparently mainly for drugs and assault.
He last did a five-year prison stint over drugs, was released in 2021 and went off parole the next year.
Neither he nor Jones have a known gang affiliation, law enforcement sources said, although Monday’s fatal shooting occurred in an area rife with activity tied to the Gang of Apes.
Jones requested a lawyer and isn’t talking, the high-ranking cop source said.
What to know about the fatal shooting of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller:
- Diller, 31, was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop in Far Rockaway, Queens, on March 25, 2024.
- Suspect Guy Rivera allegedly opened fire on Diller on Monday evening after the cop approached the vehicle Rivera was in for parking in front of a bus stop.
- Diller was shot once in the stomach below his bulletproof vest. The married father of a 1-year-old boy was rushed to Jamaica Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
- Rivera was wounded when Diller’s partner returned fire. The suspect has 21 prior arrests and was found to have a shiv stored in his rectum during the shooting — in apparent anticipation of being sent to jail again.
- Lindy Jones, the ex-con behind the wheel of the car during the shooting, was also arrested after a second gun was found in his car.
- Mayor Eric Adams has renewed his calls for Albany to address criminal recidivism following the shooting involving two suspects with lengthy criminal records.
Follow The Post’s complete coverage of fallen NYPD Officer Diller’s wake
He has been arrested at least 14 times, including for robbery, assault and an attempted murder in 2001 for which he was sentenced to a decade behind bars, according to authorities, records and law enforcement sources.
He was most recently arrested last April, when he was nabbed with a loaded illegal gun on the street, according to court records.
The Queens District Attorney’s Office sought $75,000 bail and electronic monitoring for the weapons suspect. The judge, Mary Bejarano, agreed on setting the bail but balked at the monitoring request.
Jones made bail thanks to an insured bond backed by family or friends and was back on the street weeks later.
He was due back in court in that case April 1.
Jones was accused in 2001 of shooting a man with whom he’d had an earlier dispute. He fired three bullets at his target, hitting the guy twice, in his chest and leg, and leaving him with a collapsed lung, according to court papers.
Jones made off with his victim’s neck chain, the documents say.
The victim declined comment to The Post on Tuesday.
Mayor Eric Adams appeared to choke up Tuesday as he warned that “it’s the good guys vs. the bad guys’’ out there.
“We have a real recidivism problem with these two individuals,’’ Adams told reporters of Jones and Rivera.
“Bad guys no longer fear the police. They feel emboldened to do whatever they want.
“The foundation of the public safety apparatus is dissolving in front of our eyes,’’ Adams said.
“There are a large number of cases being dropped and dismissed — there are some serious cases they are not prosecuting’’ because of deadlines, he said.
Additional reporting by Craig McCarthy
