Hundreds of NYPD officers descended on a Queens courthouse Wednesday as a suspect was charged in connection with the broad daylight slaying of a cop.
One of the suspects in Monday’s horror cop shooting, Lindy Jones, 41, was arraigned and charged with weapons possession.
Prosecutors said he had been found with a ‘ghost gun’ – meaning its serial number was removed to avoid it being traced – and it was believed he and the shooter were casing out a T-Mobile store.
The man cops say pulled the trigger, Guy Rivera, 34, remains in stable condition in hospital after he was shot by the partner of victim officer Jonathan Diller, 31, in the shooting.
On the outskirts of the city in Massapequa, Long Island, at the same time Jones was in court, around 1,000 officers lined the streets as Diller’s body was transferred to Massapequa Funeral Home.
Diller, a married father of a one-year-old boy, was allegedly shot dead by Rivera during a traffic stop. The death has sparked a huge response from the police community, with NYPD Commissioner Edward Cavan branding him a ‘hero.’
Lindy Jones, 41, was arraigned and charged with weapons possession in connection to the shooting of an NYPD officer
Prosecutors said he had been found with a ‘ghost gun,’ meaning its serial number was removed to avoid it being traced
Hundreds of NYPD officers descended on the Queens courthouse Wednesday to watch the arraignment
Jones was walked past Diller’s photo while exiting the 101 precinct on Wednesday
Jonathan Diller, the young officer from Long Island, was just three years into the job and leaves a young widow
With Rivera still in hospital, Jones was perp walked Wednesday out of Queens Supreme Court shortly before his arraignment.
It was heard on Wednesday that Jones – who has a history of 14 arrests including a 10 year stint in prison on attempted murder from 2003 – has refused to talk with detectives since his arrest on Tuesday night.
Officials say that Jones was behind the wheel of a car that was parked illegally in front of a bus lane, leading Diller and his partner to approach them shortly before 6pm Monday.
After Rivera allegedly refused to roll down his window or show his hands, he opened fire on Diller, hitting the young officer under his bullet proof vest.
After Diller’s partner returned fire, both Rivera and Diller were rushed to hospital. The officer was later pronounced dead, while Jones remains in stable condition.
At Wednesday’s hearing, prosecutors said Jones was charged with gun possession and possession of a defaced firearm, meaning he used a ghost gun.
He was held without bail as officials cited Jones’ history of skipping court dates in the past.
Prosecutors said a search warrant was issued on the vehicle in the shooting, which uncovered a second firearm.
Investigators believe Jones and Rivera had been casing out a T-Mobile store before the shooting.
Horrific surveillance footage captured the moment the young NYPD cop writhed in agony on the streets of New York after being shot.
In the new footage, three loud gunshots are heard ringing out as bystanders flee for safety.
Diller leaves a young widow, Stephanie, and a one year-old son at his home in Long Island
Surveillance footage captured the moment Diller was fatally shot after approaching an illegally parked vehicle
Despite being shot, Diller heroically moved the gun away from the shooter after it was dropped on the ground, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said during a press briefing.
In the footage of the shooting, the quiet street was emptied within seconds as the shots rang out.
Witness Dean Peters said Diller erupted with screams of agony, adding: ‘He was moving, he was saying, ‘I’m hit, I’m hit!’ Giving location and all that.
‘Like he was crying, like he was really crying.’
Tributes poured in for Diller after his sudden death, as he leaves behind his wife and infant son.
‘Tonight this city lost a hero, a wife lost her husband, and a young child lost their father,’ NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban wrote on X.
‘We struggle to find the words to express the tragedy of losing one of our own. The work that Police Officer Jonathan Diller did each day to make this city a safer place will NEVER be forgotten.
‘Our prayers are with his family, loved ones, and brothers and sisters in blue.’
New York City Mayor Eric Adams branded the shooting a ‘senseless act of violence’ at a press conference outside Jamaica Hospital.
‘I can’t not say it any clearer: It is the good guys against the bad guys, and these bad guys are violent,’ Adams, a former cop, added.
Following Rivera’s arrest, it emerged that he has a lengthy criminal history including first degree robbery, illegal gun possession and assaults.
Neighbors heard shots ring out at 5:50 pm, less than two blocks from the NYPD’s 101st Precinct stationhouse before seeing the fatally injured officer lying in the street
Diller and a colleague were working in Far Rockaway as part of the NYPD Critical Response Team focusing on car crime
He had 21 prior arrests and previously served five years in prison on drug charges before being paroled in 2021.
Rivera had also been incarcerated from 2011 to 2014 over a first-degree assault charge.
Jones had 14 prior arrests, including a conviction for attempted murder and robbery in 2003 that saw him serve 10 years behind bars.
He had been arrested on gun charges last April, but was released on a $75,000 bail that was set to bring him back to court Monday.
Following Jones’ April arrest, where he was caught with a loaded firearm, Mayor Adams said that he was a prime example of a ‘recidivist problem’ – meaning a small number of perpetrators committing a large number of crimes.
‘Same bad people doing bad things to good people,’ Adams added.