Gov. Hochul confronted while leaving wake for NYPD officer

MASSAPEQUA PARK, N.Y. (PIX11) – Gov. Kathy Hochul went to Long Island on Friday to pay her respects to the family of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller, who was shot and killed in the line of duty earlier this week.

Hochul attended a visitation for Diller at Massapequa Funeral Home. A spokesperson described the meeting with Diller’s family behind closed doors as cordial, polite and pleasant, where both the governor and the officer’s loved ones talked about the need for policy changes.

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According to the governor’s Long Island press secretary, Hochul “attended the wake today to mourn the loss of Officer Diller, offer her condolences and hear from his family and loved ones who are dealing with unimaginable grief.”

However, as Hochul was leaving the funeral home, she was confronted by a man outside.

The governor and other New York Democratic lawmakers have come under fire following Diller’s death because one of the men charged in the shooting was released in April 2023 on gun charges. That has led to renewed calls for bail reform.

“I’m angry that this continuing revolving door of criminal justice is allowing people to be hurt,” U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito said. “And those who say that cashless bail and criminal justice reform hasn’t increased crime, I’m not sure where they’re looking because it’s not true.”

Diller was killed in the line of duty while conducting a traffic stop in Queens on Monday. Diller was shot after he and another officer stopped a vehicle that was illegally parked at a bus stop in Far Rockaway, police said.

Police said that Guy Rivera, the suspect accused of fatally shooting Diller, is a career criminal. His accused accomplice, Lindy Jones, was already out on bail from a gun charge last year.

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