Gov. Kathy Hochul left the wake for slain NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller Friday afternoon after a tense confrontation with another man in attendance.
Hochul arrived at the Massapequa Funeral Home on Long Island for the second day of viewings around 1:45 p.m.
She was only in the venue for about 10 minutes before she was spotted in a clash with a man in a black suit, video shows.
Several cops waiting outside the funeral home then clapped as he walked away.
Hochul and other New York lawmakers have come under fire in the days since Diller’s death over bail reform, as it was revealed that one of the men implicated in the shooting was allowed to walk on a gun charge last spring.
Ahead of the weekend services, Sergeants Benevolent Association president Vincent J. Vallelong wrote a scathing letter warning members of the City Council not to show their faces.
What to know about the fatal shooting of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller:
- Diller, 31, was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop in Far Rockaway, Queens, on March 25, 2024.
- Suspect Guy Rivera opened fire on Diller on Monday evening after the cop approached the vehicle Rivera was in for parking in front of a bus stop.
- Diller was shot once in the stomach below his bulletproof vest. The married father of a 1-year-old boy was rushed to Jamaica Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
- Rivera was wounded when Diller’s partner returned fire. The suspect has 21 prior arrests and was found to have a shiv stored in his rectum during the shooting — in apparent anticipation of being sent to jail again.
- Lindy Jones, the ex-con behind the wheel of the car during the shooting, was also arrested after a second gun was found in his car.
- Mayor Eric Adams has renewed his calls for Albany to address criminal recidivism following the shooting involving two suspects with lengthy criminal records.
“Their presence is more than a distraction. It is a stain on the legacy of a true hero who made the ultimate sacrifice,” Vallelong argued, adding that the leaders should feel “morally responsible” for the officer’s killing.
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