Slain Officer Jonathan Diller’s family told Kathy Hochul she had ‘his blood on her hands’: source

Tina Moore, Olivia Land
·2 min read
Diller Hochul funeral
Diller Hochul funeral
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An uncle of slain NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller was the man who lashed out at Gov. Hochul when she stopped by the wake Friday afternoon —shouting that “his blood is on your hands,” a source told The Post Saturday, as the governor insisted she had not been asked to leave the gathering.

The family member “was going crazy on her,” the source said.

“He said, ‘We don’t want you here. You’re not wanted here. You have blood on your hands. If you want to do something, change the bail laws,’” the source continued.

But Hochul, speaking at an Easter event in Albany, said she had no regrets about attending.

“I would do it again, and that’s my job,” she said, according to Politico. “If they need to talk to me, and they all needed to talk to me, my job is to listen.”

A member of fallen Officer Jonathan Diller’s family told Gov. Hochul “his blood is on your hands,” a source told the Post. Dennis A. Clark for NY Post
A member of fallen Officer Jonathan Diller’s family told Gov. Hochul “his blood is on your hands,” a source told the Post. Dennis A. Clark for NY Post
Diller’s family member “was going crazy on” the governor, a source said. Dennis Clark for the NYPost
Diller’s family member “was going crazy on” the governor, a source said. Dennis Clark for the NYPost

Diller, 31, was shot dead in Queens on Monday evening.

Both suspects in the incident have long rap sheets and previously did time in prison.

The tragic killing spurred renewed calls for Albany to clamp down on bail reform, which many in law enforcement blame for recidivist crimes.

Hochul and Attorney General Letitita James were also both denied their requests to speak at the Saturday morning service, Fox News host Brian Kilmeade reported.

“How completely out of touch and disrespectful – it’s about them when you make that kind of request. It really should be about the family,” former Rep. Lee Zeldin told Fox of the governor’s supposed request.

Hochul tried to mend fences Saturday by lowering flags on state buildings to half-staff on the day of Diller’s funeral.

Officer Diller, 31, was fatally shot in Far Rockaway, Queens, on March 25, 2024.
Officer Diller, 31, was fatally shot in Far Rockaway, Queens, on March 25, 2024.

In comments to Al Sharpton on MSNBC Saturday, Hochul conceded, “there’s a lot of anger.

“I went to the wake to meet the family and speak to everyone. . . .  Understandably there’s anger about how these individuals could commit crimes over and over and are back out on the street again. So that is one of the reasons why we worked hard with the [state] Legislature last year to change the bail laws . . . but I totally understand the outrage of the family.”

Zeldin said the dispute revealed how fed up New Yorkers have become with “soft-on-crime” policies that have taken hold on Hochul’s watch.

“New Yorkers are hitting their breaking point and about to flee,” he scoffed.