One of the career criminals involved in the slaying of hero city cop Jonathan Diller tried to claim the shooter was just a hitchhiker he picked up, authorities said Wednesday — as he was hit with illegal weapons charges.
Lindy Jones, 41, allegedly insisted to police that he didn’t know the passenger — suspected gunman Guy Rivera — before letting him hop a ride in the Kia Soul that cops, including Diller, stopped on Monday, Queens Assistant District Attorney Gabriel Reale said in court.
The revelation came as Jones was arraigned on two counts each of criminal possession of a weapon in the second and third degrees after police said they found a second gun, a 9-millimeter, in the glove compartment of the car, according to prosecutors. The gun’s serial number was allegedly scratched off.
“There is another gun in the car. I think they found it. That’s why I’m here,” Jones allegedly told cops at the 101st Precinct after his arrest.
Jones — who police sources said goes by the nickname “Killa” and has been arrested at least 14 times — was in the driver’s seat of the dark gray car parked outside a T-Mobile store in Far Rockaway when NYPD “quality of life” officers conducted the stop.
The man in the passenger seat, Rivera, a 34-year-old ex-con, refused the cops’ request to exit the car before allegedly whipping out a gun and shooting Diller, 31, a husband and father to a 1-year-old son, in the stomach.
Rivera, who was injured when Diller’s partner returned fire, remained hospitalized Wednesday.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said Rivera would be charged in the fatal shooting as soon as possible.
Katz, who was in Queens Criminal Court for Jones’ arraignment, vowed in a statement after that her office would “continue working around the clock to seek justice on behalf of Officer Diller’s loved ones, his NYPD family and in honor of his selflessness and courage.”
Judge Maria Gonzalez remanded Jones into custody during the hearing, which was packed with more than 200 cops and was standing-room only.
Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry said he was thankful Jones was remanded in the case and that “he deserves to be behind bars.”
“He is part of the killing of a New York City police officer,” the union head said after the hearing. “He’s just as responsible as the person who pulled that trigger.”
Hendry didn’t buy Jones’ assertion that he only picked up Rivera on the side of the road, saying there was “no doubt” the “career criminals” knew each other.
“The claim is that these were two individuals who were planning something vicious that night,” Hendry said.
Jones could face up to 15 years behind bars if convicted of the charges, prosecutors, and another 15 in a separate gun case from April.
His next court date in the more recent case is Friday. His defense attorney didn’t immediately return a request for comment.
What to know about the fatal shooting of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller:
- Diller, 31, was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop in Far Rockaway, Queens, on March 25, 2024.
- Suspect Guy Rivera allegedly opened fire on Diller on Monday evening after the cop approached the vehicle Rivera was in for parking in front of a bus stop.
- Diller was shot once in the stomach below his bulletproof vest. The married father of a 1-year-old boy was rushed to Jamaica Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
- Rivera was wounded when Diller’s partner returned fire. The suspect has 21 prior arrests and was found to have a shiv stored in his rectum during the shooting — in apparent anticipation of being sent to jail again.
- Lindy Jones, the ex-con behind the wheel of the car during the shooting, was also arrested after a second gun was found in his car.
- Mayor Eric Adams has renewed his calls for Albany to address criminal recidivism following the shooting involving two suspects with lengthy criminal records.
Follow The Post’s complete coverage of fallen NYPD Officer Diller’s wake
Jones ignored shouted questions from reporters and avoided eye contact as he was led out of the NYPD’s 101st Precinct in Far Rockaway at around 12:30 p.m., handcuffed and dressed in dark sweats and white sneakers, after being hit with the charges.
His past arrests include charges for robbery, assault, and attempted murder stemming from a 2001 incident in which he shot a man three times, records and sources indicated.
He was due back in court on those charges on Monday, April 1.
Before he could face the judge again, however, Jones and Rivera were spotted in the parked Kia shortly before 6 p.m. Monday, a high-ranking source said.
Diller and his partner asked the men to roll down their windows, and the pair refused, according to the police footage that was seen by a source and described to reporters.
Rivera also supposedly refused to take his hands out of his sweatshirt pocket.
After Jones finally unlocked the automatic door locks, Diller and Rivera engaged in a tug-of-war with the passenger-side handle, the source said.
The officer eventually got the door open and demanded Rivera take his hands out again.
The latter responded by firing a single shot, which hit Diller in the stomach, below his bulletproof vest.
Surveillance footage from a nearby store showed the officer crumpling behind the Kia, where he lay screaming and moaning for a few minutes while other officers scrambled for help.
How Post readers can help
You can help Officer Jonathan Diller’s 1-year-old son via the Silver Shield Foundation, which will help fund his future education. Diller, 31, was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Queens, leaving behind his wife, Stephanie, and baby Ryan.
The Silver Shield Foundation was launched in 1982 by late New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner for the families of NYPD officers and FDNY firefighters who lose their lives in the line of duty.
You can make a contribution at silvershieldfoundation.org/donate or send it to: Silver Shield Foundation, 870 UN Plaza, 1st Floor, New York, NY 10017.
Diller’s partner responded by firing two return shots, at least one of which struck Rivera in the back.
“[Diller’s] partner was very emotional. He was crying. I’d say four or five other cops were crying,” a witness told The Post.
Hendry, the PBA head, said Wednesday Diller loved his job and protecting New Yorkers.
“As you could see all through this crowd,” he said, spreading his arms out at the many officers who attended the arraignment “how much he was loved by police officers in the 105 precinct, CRT that’s behind me.”
Additional reporting by David Propper
