NYPD officer shot, killed in Queens leaves behind wife, baby

FAR ROCKAWAY, Queens (PIX11) – The NYPD is mourning the loss of one of their own after Officer Jonathan Diller was shot and killed in Far Rockaway, Queens on Monday.

Diller, 31, was a husband and a father to a young child. His death was described as a “senseless act of violence”, and Mayor Eric Adams called him a hero.

“We lost Jonathan tonight. And Stephanie, his wife, I was speaking with her, was extremely impactful,” Adams said during a briefing at the hospital Monday night.

NYPD officers lined up outside of the hospital Monday night and saluted him as his body was transferred.

Diller, of Massapequa Park, was a three-year veteran of the police department, who was working for the community response team in Queens South when he was killed. During his career, he made more than 70 arrests and was awarded with excellent and meritorious police duty four times.

Even after Diller was shot in the stomach, he still tried to disarm the shooter, according to authorities.

“The gun hit the ground; and as the perpetrator was still reaching for it, this cop was able to grab it, although he was still shot,” said NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.

Diller’s passing marks the first death of an NYPD officer on the job since 2022 when officers Wilbert Mora and Jason Rivera were ambushed and killed in Harlem during a domestic disturbance call.

The FDNY expressed its condolences over Diller’s death as well as Sen. James Sanders Jr., who said in part, “Officer Jonathan Diller dedicated his life to serving and protecting our community. His bravery and commitment will never be forgotten.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul responded to Diller’s death on X, saying in part, “I am heartbroken by the senseless killing of Officer Jonathan Diller tonight in Queens. His heroism and service will never be forgotten.”

“These police officers who pack the halls just lost a brother. Our hero police officer confronted this dangerous individual knowing that he was putting himself at risk, knowing that he had a family waiting for him at home. But he did it to protect the people of this city, and we need every single New Yorker to be with this family,” said PBA president Patrick Hendry.

Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.

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