Mourners gather for slain NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller’s funeral on Long Island
Hundreds are expected to attend the funeral for NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller, which is set for 10:30 a.m. Saturday on Long Island.
Local streets were blocked off by 7:30 a.m. in preparation for the service at St. Rose of Lima R.C. Church in Massapequa, which was decked out with American flags.
Dozens of houses had blue ribbons tied to their trees, while another house’s flag flew at half-staff.
Uniformed police officers also trawled the area with their K9s by their sides, and speakers were placed about a block away from the church to accommodate possible overflow.
Three members of Diller’s wife’s family – including her brother and cousin – are expected to march in the first line of the NYPD pipe band during the procession.
The Saturday service comes after two days of emotional viewings at a nearby funeral home.
The first day of proceedings received a drop-by from former President Donald Trump, who flew into Nassau County for the event.
Trump spent 40 minutes inside the funeral home, where he spoke with Diller’s 29-year-old widow, Stephanie, and met the couple’s 1-year-old son, Ryan.
“I said something has to come out of it, and the only thing that you could really think that could come out of it is we get stronger and tougher so this doesn’t keep happening,” he told The Post of his conversation with the grieving family.
Trump was invited to the crowded viewing specifically by the family, he claimed.
Diller’s brother-in-law, fellow NYPD cop Jonathan McAuley, shared a photo of the real estate mogul embracing a woman in the family line-up.
“No words needed,” he captioned the post.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also visited with the family during the Friday afternoon viewing – though her brief visit was quickly mired in drama.
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
Hochul — who had asked the NYPD, the NYPD Police Benevolent Association, and the Nassau County Police Benevolent Association ahead of time about attending — arrived at the funeral home around 1:45 p.m..
While inside, Hochul had an “animated” conversation with Stephanie Diller, one witness told The Post.
“[It looked] like she was telling [Hochul] off,” they said of the tense exchange. “It didn’t look like the widow had a kind word to say.”
Hochul left immediately after, the witness said.
Another source, however, said the governor had a “short, respectful conversation” with the devastated family.
“She greeted the family members, then walked out,” they told The Post, noting she was inside for “10 to 15 minutes.”
“It was a brief respectful visit. She was not asked to leave,” the source added.
On her way out, Hochul was briefly accosted by an emotional mourner, who gestured firmly while speaking in hushed but fervent tones.
The clash was witnessed by a group of onlookers who applauded as the blank-faced lawmaker walked back to her car.
There were initial, unconfirmed reports Hochul, who has come under fire as the face of controversial bail reform, was asked to leave the wake.
Diller, 31, was shot in the stomach Monday evening as he and his partner approached a parked car in Far Rockaway, Queens.
The young father lay wailing on the pavement for several minutes before he was loaded into an unmarked police vehicle and taken to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Alleged gunman Guy Rivera, 34, who is accused of opening fire from the passenger seat, has at least 21 prior arrests and did a five-year prison stint.
Rivera was shot in the back when Diller’s partner returned fire. He was charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon on Thursday.
Driver Lindy Jones, 41, also has a lengthy rap sheet included a conviction for attempted murder, yet was let loose on $75,000 after he was arrested in April 2023 on an illegal gun charge.
Jones was arraigned on two counts each of criminal possession of a weapon in the second and third degrees after police reportedly found a second gun in the glove compartment of the car.
The 9-millimeter’s serial number was allegedly scratched off.
Mayor Eric Adams criticized lawmakers a day after the shooting for enabling the rise in recidivism.
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.
“We’ve always had a problem with recidivism, it’s always been a problem but we’ve really never zeroed in on it with case after case,” the former NYPD captain told reporters Tuesday.
Adams is expected to deliver remarks at Diller’s funeral mass, his office confirmed.
Members of the City Council, however, were warned not to attend in a scathing letter by SBA President Vincent Vallelong.
“They detest cops and have no appreciation for what they do. They should stay home and not pretend they are grieving. They have caused enough heartbreak and destruction,” Vallelong insisted, adding their presence “is a stain on the legacy of a true hero who made the ultimate sacrifice.”
