By Leonard Greene
New York Daily News
NEW YORK — The widow of NYPD cop Jonathan Diller, who was killed this year during a Queens traffic stop, announced a scholarship she is launching in his honor.
The Detective Jonathan Diller Scholarship Fund will honor the Long Island native and support students who demonstrate leadership, resilience and a passion for helping others.
Stephanie Diller teamed with local officials on Monday to kick off the fundraising drive at Mulcahy’s Pub & Concert Hall in Wantagh, L.I. Organizers said the goal is to raise $100,000 at an event in November.
Diller, who grew up in Massapequa Park, was shot and killed in March after stopping a man his partner spotted with a gun on a Far Rockaway street before he stepped into a car.
Diller and his partner Sgt. Sasha Rosen asked the suspect, Guy Rivera, several times to roll down the window, prosecutors said.
Once they got the door open, Rivera slowly removed his seatbelt before quickly reaching for his gun and shooting Diller, prosecutors said. The bullet lodged in his hip, below his bullet-proof vest, striking an artery and causing massive internal bleeding.
Another officer returned fire, hitting Rivera twice.
Diller, 31, died a short time later at Jamaica Hospital.
Rivera, 34, was charged with first-degree murder for allegedly shooting Diller and with attempted murder for allegedly trying to shoot Rosen.
Cops said Rivera’s gun jammed after he fired a single fatal shot and Rosen escaped unharmed.
Lindy Jones, 41, who was in the driver’s seat of the car that was stopped, has been charged with gun possession.
If convicted, Rivera faces a possible sentence of life without the possibility for parole.
Mourners including former President Donald Trump filled a Long Island funeral home days later to salute the slain officer, who was hailed as a hero for his dedication to public safety.
A thin blue line was painted along Merrick Road in the heart of Massapequa Park, where blue ribbons dotted homes throughout the neighborhood.
Diller, a three-year veteran of the Police Department, was working for the community response team in Queens South when he was killed.
In April, Long Island pizza shops donated portions of their proceeds to three cop charities — Beyond the Badge, Project Thank a Cop, and Silver Shield Foundation — and Diller’s family.
During Diller’s career, he made more than 70 arrests and was cited for excellent and meritorious police duty four times, officials said.
He was also the father of a 1-year-old son.
Diller was posthumously promoted to detective first grade.
—
©2024 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
