Trump due at Long Island wake for slain NYPD cop Jonathan Diller

Metro


Former President Donald Trump on Thursday will join grieving relatives and thousands of uniformed officers at the wake for slain NYPD cop Jonathan Diller — as he continues to harp on rampant urban crime during his bid to reclaim the White House.

Trump touched down at a rainy MacArthur Airport on Long Island shortly before 2 p.m.

Trump’s presence at the Massapequa funeral home promises to shine a spotlight on Diller’s senseless death during a traffic stop in Queens on Monday, with the slain cop serving as another tragic example.

Trump touched down at a rainy MacArthur Airport on Long Island shortly before 2 p.m. Stephen Yang for NY Post

It is unclear what led to Trump’s expected attendance at the wake.

“The county executive discussed this with the president on Tuesday,” Chris Boyle, a spokesman for Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, told The Post.

But Boyle would not say if that conversation included an invitation.

Trump’s presidential campaign announced Wednesday that he would join Diller’s family and thousands of police officers from New York City and the region at the Massapequa wake.

“President Trump is moved by the invitation to join NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller’s family and colleagues as they deal with his senseless and tragic death,” said Karoline Leavitt, the former commander-in-chief’s campaign spokesperson.

It is unclear what led to Trump’s expected attendance at the wake. Stephen Yang for NY Post
Trump was greeted on the tarmac by County Executive Bruce Blakeman. Stephen Yang for NY Post

Trump has been persistently critical of City Hall and President Biden over their presumed failure to curb rampant crime in the Big Apple.

In an exclusive interview with The Post’s Michael Goodwin earlier this month, Trump blamed the “radical lunatic left” for ruining American cities.

“The local police are not allowed to do their jobs anymore,” Trump said from Mar-a-Lago.

He has blasted Democrat-run cities for “being destroyed by the migrants” — who have been behind headline-making crime sprees, including in New York City. “If you want to be a sanctuary city, then you’re not getting any federal money.”

He is expected to cite the young cop’s shooting death as another example of runaway crime.

NYPD Police Officer Jonathan Diller, 31, was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Queens on Monday.
Career criminal Guy Rivera was charged with murder Thursday in the shooting death of NYPD cop Jonathan Diller.

Diller, a 31-year-old married dad, was on patrol in Far Rockaway on Monday when he was shot and mortally wounded by a ruthless ex-con and his career-criminal pal, according to police.

In just three years on the job, Diller had more than 70 busts under his belt and was part of what relatives called “the real Blue Bloods family” — a reference to the hit CBS series about a family of Big Apple police officers.

Diller, whose brother-in-law and cousin are both cops, leaves behind a wife, Stephanie, and the couple’s 1-year-old son, Ryan.

Visitation with Diller’s family will be held at the Massapequa Funeral Home at 4980 Merrick Road from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, followed by the same schedule Friday.

His funeral is scheduled at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Rose of Lima R.C. Church, also in Massapequa, followed by burial at St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale immediately after the service.

What to know about the fatal shooting of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller:

Follow The Post’s complete coverage of fallen NYPD Officer Diller’s wake

Slain NYPD Police Officer Jonathan Diller, a 31-year-old married father, had been on the force for three years when he was killed in Queens on Monday. AP

Police said accused cop-killer Guy Rivera, who had 21 prior arrests, allegedly shot Diller in the stomach around 5:50 p.m. as the young cop approached the vehicle he was sitting in at a bus stop.

Rivera, who was wounded in an exchange of gunfire with other cops, was officially charged in the hospital with murder, attempted murder and weapons possession earlier Thursday, police said.

The driver of the car, ex-con Lindy Jones, is also charged in the incident.




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