Man convicted of aggravated manslaughter in killing of NYPD detective; acquitted of murder

A Queens jury on Wednesday convicted Guy Rivera of aggravated manslaughter in the first degree, attempted murder in the first degree and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree in the killing of NYPD Detective Jonathan Diller, prosecutors said. The jury acquitted Rivera of first-degree murder, the Queens district attorney’s office said.

The jury initially reported a verdict but was sent back to continue deliberating after one juror said the decision was not unanimous, according to the New York Post. The foreman had told the judge the panel found Rivera not guilty of first-degree murder and guilty on the other charges, but a juror later disagreed when individually polled, the newspaper reported. The judge told jurors their verdict must be unanimous, the New York Post reported, and the panel later returned and agreed on the verdicts.

Prosecutors said Diller and his partner, Sergeant Sasha Rosen, stopped a vehicle that was illegally parked outside a cell phone store in Far Rockaway in March 2024. Authorities said Rivera shot and killed Diller after officers ordered him to step out of the vehicle, then pointed his gun at Rosen and pulled the trigger but the weapon jammed. Prosecutors said Diller wrestled the gun away before collapsing, and Rivera was shot twice during the encounter.

Diller had been scheduled to be off duty and was at a park with his wife and young son when he was called in, prosecutors said. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, in a statement, said, “The last words Detective Jonathan Diller told his wife were ‘I love you.'”

“Detective Diller was a father, a husband and a son. He was also a dedicated member of the New York City Police Department who put on a uniform every day to protect our city,” Katz said. “This crime stole the life of a dutiful officer and a family man and endangered the life of a devoted NYPD sergeant. We continue to stand in solidarity with Detective Diller’s loved ones, Sergeant Sasha Rosen and all the brave men and women who protect our city,” the statement added.

Source: Original Article