A Queens courtroom packed with uniformed police officers and members of Officer Jonathan Diller’s family heard closing arguments on punishment Monday, when Judge Michael Aloise sentenced Guy Rivera to 115 years to life in prison for the 2024 shooting death of Diller during a traffic stop. After a jury earlier this month convicted Rivera of aggravated manslaughter and other charges but acquitted him of murder, the case moved to sentencing, with prosecutors arguing for the maximum time in prison and defense counsel urging a shorter, “sensational”-free penalty.
During the hearing, Aloise told Rivera he “most certainly will” die in a prison cell and said his sentence was based on the judge’s calculation of the years Rivera would spend behind bars. Aloise added that “It took me five minutes to calculate the numbers. It’s going to take you a lifetime to calculate the damage you caused,” according to the Associated Press report.
The underlying case dates to March 25, 2024, when Diller and other officers were on patrol in Far Rockaway, Queens. Authorities said an officer spotted a suspicious object bulging from Rivera’s hoodie as Rivera and another man walked to a parked car and got in, and the officers then questioned the driver.
Prosecutors and police said Rivera, who was in the passenger’s seat, suddenly pulled out a gun and shot Diller. They said the bullet struck the officer below his bulletproof vest, mortally wounding him, and another officer then shot and wounded Rivera.
The sentencing hearing took place as the case drew national attention after Diller was killed, the AP story said. The officer’s wake and funeral in his Long Island hometown drew thousands of people and included then-President Donald Trump among attendees, and Diller’s death briefly became a focal point during Trump’s 2024 campaign messaging of “law and order.” In a March 2025 speech to a joint session of Congress, Trump hailed Diller as an “unbelievably wonderful person and a great officer,” according to the report.
Prosecutors argued that Rivera deserved life behind bars and pointed to Rivera’s prior criminal record. Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Zawistowski said “This was not an accident,” adding, “We ask that you honor Jonathan’s life. We ask that you honor his sacrifice,” the AP said. Zawistowski also argued Rivera was a “persistent felon” whose choice reflected intent to inflict violence, the report said.
Rivera’s lawyer, Jamal Johnson, argued at trial and again at sentencing that Rivera was “not a murderer” because he did not intend to kill Diller. Johnson maintained that the gun accidentally discharged as officers pulled the firearm from Rivera’s pocket, and he pleaded with the judge not to issue a “sensational” sentence. He also complained that Rivera did not receive a fair trial; after the sentencing hearing, Johnson said he intended to appeal the conviction and argued that the court had made up its mind about sentencing before the trial was conducted.
Diller’s family delivered statements at Monday’s hearing seeking a life sentence for Rivera. Stephanie Diller, the officer’s wife, said she and their young son had been given a life sentence without Diller’s presence and told Rivera, through tears, “You took my husband and the life we were building,” while speaking directly to him. Fran Diller, the officer’s mother, said she is haunted by her son’s death every day and told the court, “He had a future so incredibly bright,” adding that her world has been “completely shattered” and that everything feels empty without him.
Patrick Hendry, president of the police officers’ union, said after the hearing that the manslaughter verdict “did not send the right message” to police officers, but that the sentence had. He told reporters that Rivera “should never ever walk the streets again, and he won’t,” according to the Associated Press report.
The second suspect, Lindy Jones, was also named in the case, with the AP report stating Jones is due back in court Tuesday as he awaits trial on weapons charges.