In a tragic incident that has shaken New York City, a police officer was fatally shot during a routine traffic stop, as confirmed by the city’s mayor. This heartbreaking event marks the first loss of an NYPD officer to violence in the past two years, casting a shadow of mourning over the city.
Mayor Eric Adams, visibly moved by the loss, shared his sorrow with the media at the hospital where the officer succumbed to his injuries. “Losing one of our sons today has inflicted immense pain upon us,” he lamented.
The fatal shooting unfolded shortly before 5:50 p.m. in Queens’ Far Rockaway area. Officer Jonathan Diller and his partner were addressing a vehicle that was illegally parked at a bus stop when the tragedy struck. As they approached the car, an individual inside fired at Officer Diller, hitting him beneath his bullet-proof vest, Police Commissioner Edward Caban revealed. In response, Diller’s partner shot back, injuring the assailant, who was then taken to a nearby hospital.
Despite being rushed to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, Officer Diller’s life could not be saved. Having served in the police force for three years, Diller leaves behind a spouse and a young child. Commissioner Caban, expressing his grief on the social media platform X, stated, “The tragedy of losing one of our own is beyond words.”
The incident began when Diller and his partner attempted to remove the driver and passenger from the car, which was obstructing a busy street in a vibrant commercial zone. “The individual who pulled the gun was repeatedly ordered to exit the vehicle but refused. When the officers attempted to remove him, he fired at our officer,” explained Joseph Kenny, the police department’s chief of detectives.
Kenny praised Diller’s bravery, noting that even after being wounded, he fought to disarm the shooter, whose identity has not been disclosed by the police. “Diller managed to seize the gun, despite being shot, as the perpetrator tried to retrieve it,” Kenny added.
Eyewitnesses recounted the chaos that ensued. Melissa Morgan, 39, described the rapid unfolding of events to the Daily News, “It happened so fast. I saw the officer fall and other officers pulling two men from the car. I ran for cover.” Another witness, Deon Peters, shared with the New York Post how he saw Diller on the ground, struggling and stating, “I’m hit, I’m hit.”
This incident is the first NYPD officer fatality since 2022, recalling the ambush of Officers Wilbert Mora and Jason Rivera in a Harlem apartment, responding to a domestic disturbance.
Former police captain and now Mayor Adams met with Diller’s bereaved widow, condemning the shooting as a “senseless act of violence.” He emphasized the stark divide between the protectors and perpetrators of violence in the city, highlighting the disregard shown towards the police uniform, a symbol of public safety.
Joseph Kenny also mentioned that one of the individuals in the vehicle had been previously arrested on a gun charge in April 2023. Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association of New York, expressed his outrage over the shooting, calling for an immediate end to attacks on police officers. “We have a devastated family and officers who have lost a brother. It must end now,” he stated.
This report was supplemented by contributions from Associated Press Writers Michael R. Sisak and Jake Offenhartz.