QUEENS, NY — Guy Rivera, 36, was sentenced Monday to 115 years to life in prison for the fatal shooting of NYPD Detective Jonathan Diller during a March 2024 traffic stop in Far Rockaway, Queens.
The sentencing in Queens Supreme Court concluded a case that has drawn widespread attention across New York City’s law enforcement community. Rivera was convicted earlier this month of aggravated manslaughter, attempted murder of a police officer, and criminal possession of a weapon, though jurors acquitted him of the top charge of first-degree murder. The 31-year-old detective’s death marked the first killing of an NYPD officer in the line of duty since January 2022, when two officers were shot responding to a domestic disturbance call in Harlem.
Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Aloise handed down the maximum sentence after hearing emotional victim impact statements from Diller’s widow Stephanie and his mother Fran. The courtroom was packed with hundreds of NYPD officers who came to support the fallen detective’s family. “The defendant killed your loved one… there are no words in the English language that are going to take away the pain and suffering,” Aloise said before sentencing. “Not even the knowledge that this defendant will most certainly die in a prison cell and I promise you he will.” The judge told Rivera that his sentence was determined “when you pulled that trigger,” adding that it took five minutes to calculate the numbers but would take Rivera “a lifetime to calculate the grief you caused them.”
The deadly encounter occurred around 5:50 p.m. on March 25, 2024, when Diller and other members of the NYPD’s Community Response Team approached a Kia Soul illegally parked at a bus stop on Mott Avenue in Far Rockaway. According to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, another officer had reported seeing a man with a firearm in his sweatshirt pocket enter the passenger side of the vehicle. Prosecutors said Rivera ignored repeated commands to exit the vehicle before pulling a .380-caliber handgun and firing, striking Diller in the abdomen below his bulletproof vest. Rivera then pointed the gun at Sergeant Sasha Rosen and pulled the trigger, but the weapon jammed, prosecutors said. Officer Veckash Khedna, positioned on the driver’s side, returned fire and struck Rivera in the back. Despite his wounds, Diller “stayed in the fight” and wrestled the gun away from Rivera before collapsing, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.
Rivera had an extensive criminal history with 21 prior arrests dating back to 2009, including nine felonies, according to Mayor Eric Adams. He was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison in 2011 after pleading guilty to assault and robbery charges, then received a six-year sentence in 2015 for possession of a controlled substance. He was also convicted of a hate crime for throwing feces and urine at correctional officers while imprisoned and was released in 2021 after serving nearly five years. The driver of the vehicle, Lindy Jones, 41, had 14 prior arrests dating back to 2001 and was out on $75,000 bail at the time of the shooting for allegedly having a loaded firearm in Far Rockaway in April 2023. Jones was charged with multiple weapons offenses and faces up to 15 years in prison, with his trial still pending.
The jury’s decision to acquit Rivera of first-degree murder while convicting him on other charges sparked fierce criticism from law enforcement officials. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch expressed “deep disappointment” that Rivera was not convicted on the highest charge. Police Benevolent Association President Pat Hendry said after the verdict that officers “know behind me that this was murder one on a New York City police officer. No doubt about it.” The split decision came after tense deliberations, with jurors initially sent back after one member broke ranks during polling, forcing further discussion before reaching a final verdict. Rivera’s defense team had argued that the gun fired accidentally during a struggle with officers, a claim the jury ultimately rejected in finding him guilty of aggravated manslaughter.
During Monday’s sentencing hearing, Diller’s widow delivered a powerful statement describing her “life sentence of grief.” Speaking directly to Rivera, Stephanie Diller said the bullet “tore through our entire life,” taking away “the future we planned together, the life we were building, the years we were supposed to share.” She became emotional describing how she “did not get to be there when his life ended” and “did not get to hold his hand” or “say goodbye.” Diller’s mother Fran told the court that her “world has been completely shattered” since March 25, 2024, saying she looked at Rivera during every court appearance and “never seen any remorse, only a concern for himself.” The judge also heard a statement from Diller’s partner read by prosecutors. Queens District Attorney Katz said the punishment ensures Rivera “will never be free again to terrorize the streets of New York City,” calling Diller someone who “represented the very best of law enforcement: courage, commitment and service to community.”
Detective Diller grew up in Franklin Square, New York, and played hockey and lacrosse in high school, leading his team to a 2010 state championship. He graduated from SUNY Maritime College in 2014 with a degree in marine transportation and worked in the shipping industry before joining the NYPD in February 2021. After excelling during his time at the 105th Precinct, he was selected in 2023 to join the elite Queens South Community Response Team. Diller made 70 arrests during his three years on the force and was decorated three times for “excellent police duty.” He married his wife Stephanie in 2019, and they had a son in 2023. On the day of the shooting, Diller had been off duty earlier, spending time at a park with his wife and young son before being called in to work. “The last words Detective Jonathan Diller told his wife were ‘I love you,'” District Attorney Katz said.
Rivera’s legal team announced plans to appeal the sentencing decision. “The court’s rulings, which prevented the jury from considering important evidence and lesser-included charges supported by the record — including reckless manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide — impaired the integrity of the jury’s verdict,” said Jamal Johnson, attorney-in-charge of the Legal Aid Society’s Homicide Defense Task Force. Rivera was sentenced to 40 years to life for attempted murder and 25 years to life for each of the other three charges, to run consecutively. According to the Queens District Attorney’s Office, Rivera is not eligible for parole until 115 years are served, meaning he will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
