An NYPD officer was fatally shot on Monday during a car chase in Far Rockaway, Queens. According to the New York Police Department, the suspect in the shooting of Officer Johnathan Diller is 34-year-old Guy Rivera.
Who is Guy Rivera?
According to law enforcement and police officials, Guy Rivera, 34, was identified by sources near the scene of the shooting.
Mayor Eric Adams, Police Commission Edward Caban, and Chief Joseph Kenny, Chief of Detectives, all expressed their condolences for Johnathan Diller during a news conference earlier today.
Chief Joseph Kenny, the Chief of Detectives, confirmed that the suspect had been identified and described the events leading up to Diller’s death.
During a vehicle check, Johanathan Diller, 31, and his partner stopped Lindy Jones, 41, and Guy Rivera, 34, for parking illegally at a bus stop. When asked to step outside, Rivera fired his gun at Diller, striking the NYPD officer in the torso just below his bulletproof vest.
“[Rivera] was asked to leave the car,” stated Chief Kenny at the news conference. “He was given a lawful order numerous times to step out of the car, and he refused. Instead of stepping out of the car, he shot our officer.”
“Diller was trying to unarm the person who had just shot him as he was on the floor,” Kenny said. “The gun hit the ground and as the perpetrator was still reaching for it, this cop was able to grab it, although he was still shot,” the chief added further.
According to police sources, Diller’s partner shot Rivera once in the back after he fired at him. Diller was rushed to Jamaica Hospital in critical condition, where he later died from his injuries.
Diller is survived by his wife and their one-year-old son. According to police, Rivera has been arrested by the NYPD at least 21 times, including nine felonies.
Rivera was released from prison in 2021 after serving five years for the illegal sale of controlled substances. He was arrested for assault in 2011 and later released in 2014.
