Driver in NYPD officer Diller's death indicted on weapon charges
NEW YORK CITY - Lindy Jones, the driver behind the wheel when NYPD officer Jonathan Diller was shot and killed last month during a traffic stop in Queens, was arraigned on an indictment charging him with criminal possession of a weapon.
According to authorities, a search warrant revealed there was a 9 mm pistol in the car’s glove compartment, which was in addition to the weapon used to shoot Diller.
The 41-year-old was arraigned on an indictment charging him with two counts each of criminal possession of a weapon. He was remanded in custody and ordered to return to court on June 12.
"There is no higher priority for my office than taking illegal guns off our streets to prevent the devastation they cause, whether it is the shooting of a child playing in a school yard or an NYPD officer doing his job to keep us safe," Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.
Jones faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted on the current charges, in addition to 15 years on a separate open weapon charge from April 2023.
Meanwhile, his codefendant, 34-year-old Guy Rivera, was indicted on charges of murder and attempted murder, among other charges. He faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. He is due back in court on May 7.
Timeline: How Diller's murder unfolded?
Diller – a 31-year-old father, husband and three-year veteran of the force – was murdered after investigating a vehicle illegally parked at a bus stop in Far Rockaway. According to police, Rivera refused to step out of the car, pointed a gun at the officers and fired, police said.
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The bullet struck Diller in the stomach, just beneath his bullet-proof vest. Diller's partner returned fire, wounding Rivera, who was taken to a hospital, where he remains in stable condition.
Diller's murder in Far Rockaway marked the first slaying of an NYPD officer in two years.
Jonathan Diller GoFundMe
A GoFundMe organized to support Diller's family has since raised over $1 million.