NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — Two days after the killing of on-duty NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller, hundreds in the community honored his memory at an emotional candlelight vigil on Long Island as rain fell down and a rainbow formed in the distance.
“It’s a cold and rainy night. But if you notice that rainbow, it spoke to the hope that we have, that we’ll be able to better protect the safety of our communities, and those in law enforcement,” Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino said.
The vigil was held at Brady Park in Long Island’s Massapequa Park, the village where Diller, 31, had lived with his wife, Stephanie, since 2019. The couple shares a young son.
A three-year member of the police department and a member of the community response team for Patrol Borough Queens South, Diller was shot while conducting a vehicle stop in Far Rockaway late Monday afternoon, and succumbed to his injuries.
Among the vigil speakers was Diller’s brother-in-law, Joseph Lienhop, who described the fallen officer in one word: crazy.
“Crazy about his job. He loved what he did. He was born to be a cop, he was born to be a hero. He was crazy about his friends. No matter what, no matter what his schedule looked like, he helped out his friends. He was crazy about his family. Family was number one,” Lienhop said.
Speaker after speaker took to the podium to eulogize Diller, urge the crowd to respect law enforcement and offer promises to the family of their support.
“You are going to get sick and tired of all of us. Because we are your new family. For life,” president of the Nassau County Police Benevolent Association Thomas Shevlin said.
A New York-based nonprofit dedicated to helping the families of fallen first responders, Answer the Call, is immediately providing Stephanie with $50,000, as well as an annual stipend of $10,000 to help alleviate financial stress.
Retired NYPD cop James Joyce, whose son joined the force, described the sacrifice involved with being an officer.
“You’re putting your life on the line every day for people you don’t even know,” Joyce said. “They kiss their wives, they kiss their husbands, their kids. It could be the last time they’re coming home.”
The man who was driving the car that Diller had stopped when he was fatally shot, Lindy Jones, was hit with weapons charges on Wednesday. He faces up to 30 years for these and previous weapons charges.
The man who allegedly shot Diller, Guy Rivera, will be charged once medically practical. He remains in the hospital, in police custody, after being shot in the back by Diller’s partner.
The Police Benevolent Association released funeral details for Diller, which include a wake on Thursday and a funeral Mass on Saturday morning in Massapequa.
Reportedly, former President Donald Trump will be attend visitation on Thursday.
“He died being a hero. He died doing what he loved,” Lienhop said.