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Driver charged in connection to fatal shooting of NYPD officer in Queens: sources
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FAR ROCKAWAY, Queens (PIX1) --- The driver whose passenger allegedly shot and killed NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller during a car stop in Queens on Monday is facing weapons charges, according to law enforcement sources.
Lindy Jones, 41, was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and defacing a firearm, according to sources.
Jones' passenger, Guy Rivera, 34, allegedly pulled out a gun and shot the 31-year-old officer in the stomach after Diller approached two men in an illegally parked car near Mott Avenue and Smith Place in Far Rockaway at around 6 p.m., according to the NYPD.
Police said Rivera and Jones were in the gray SUV when Diller told Rivera to get out, police said. Rivera then allegedly fired the gun, hitting Diller below his vest, police said.
Diller’s partner then shot Rivera in the back before the injured Diller grabbed Rivera’s gun, according to authorities. Rivera remained hospitalized, as of Wednesday.
The charges against Rivera were pending, sources said.
Rivera previously spent 10 years in prison on various charges, including assault, drug convictions and hate crime charges, according to authorities.
The driver has more than 20 priors, including a gun charge from April 2023, according to Mayor Eric Adams.