A poignant scene unfolded in a Queens courtroom as jurors were shown police bodycam footage that captured the moments following the alleged shooting of NYPD officer Jonathan Diller. The accused, Guy Rivera, appeared unfazed, even smiling, as he lay in handcuffs on the ground, just after allegedly committing the act.
The court viewed the video during Rivera’s murder trial, which revolves around the tragic events of March 25, 2024. On that day, Diller, a 31-year-old officer who was also a devoted husband and father, was fatally shot while investigating a suspicious vehicle in Far Rockaway.
NYPD Detective Derval Whyte, a colleague of Diller, gave a tearful testimony, recounting the harrowing moments after the shooting. “I just watched my friend get shot for no reason,” Whyte said, struggling to maintain composure. He described the scene vividly: “He’s on his back, he’s motionless. I heard him say, ‘I’ve been shot.’ I went over to find the gunshot wound. I rolled him back and forth and found the bullet wound above his belly.”
Whyte also offered insight into the footage shown to jurors, stating, “That’s the defendant. He looks like he’s smiling.” His words painted a stark contrast between the gravity of the situation and Rivera’s demeanor.
When he was asked to describe the footage, Whyte said, “That’s the defendant. He looks like he’s smiling.”
Diller, a 31-year-old married father, was investigating a suspicious vehicle in Far Rockaway on March 25, 2024, when Rivera allegedly opened fire and mortally wounded him.
Rivera, who was wounded in the exchange, was wrestled to the ground and arrested.
Diller’s widow, Stephanie Diller, has been in court for the trial, surrounded by an army of NYPD cops, but left the room before any videos of her husband’s death were played for the jury.
On the stand, Whyte described how Rivera is seen in the footage taking off his seatbelt while being questioned by cops, then grabbing a gun and shooting Diller.
“Oh my God,” Whyte is heard saying on the video. “Dilly! Oh f—k, bro!”
He then broke down and needed two minutes to compose himself.
