Queens Jury Acquits Guy Rivera of First Degree Murder in Fatal Shooting of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller

Jury acquits Guy Rivera of first degree murder in the death of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller but delivers a guilty verdict for aggravated manslaughter in Queens.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 2, 2026, 4:44 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Daily Mail

A Volatile Conclusion to a High Profile Murder Trial

The legal proceedings against Guy Rivera, the man accused of killing NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller, reached a point of extreme tension as the jury initially failed to present a unified front. After hours of deliberation on Wednesday, the jury returned to the Queens Supreme Criminal Court with a verdict that spared Rivera a first degree murder conviction. However, the process was briefly derailed when Judge Michael Aloise polled the individuals and found that juror number five did not agree with the announced decision. This sudden lack of unanimity forced the judge to order the group back into private deliberations to resolve their internal conflicts.

The Tragic Traffic Stop in Far Rockaway

The case stems from the events of March 25, 2024, when Officer Diller was participating in what should have been a routine traffic stop. Diller and his team approached an illegally parked vehicle in the Far Rockaway neighborhood, leading to a confrontation with the occupants. According to prosecutors, Rivera was inside the vehicle and refused to comply with police orders to exit. The situation turned lethal when Rivera allegedly produced a firearm and discharged it, striking Diller in the stomach. Despite the mortal nature of his injury, Diller was credited with a final act of bravery, moving the suspect's weapon away from him after it fell to the pavement.

The Emotional Toll on the Diller Family

Throughout the reading of the verdict, the emotional atmosphere in the courtroom remained heavy, particularly for the family of the fallen officer. Diller's widow, Stephanie Diller, and his mother were present to hear the jury's final decision. When the acquittal on the top charge of first degree murder was initially read, audible gasps and cries broke out from the family's seating area. Stephanie Diller, who has been a constant presence throughout the trial, was seen in a state of distress, having previously had to endure the playback of body camera footage that captured her husband's final moments and his screams of pain.