Singer-songwriter Zach Bryan paid tribute to slain New York Police Department (NYPD) officer Jonathan Diller while visiting the state during a recent stop on his “Quittin Time” tour.
On March 30, the country singer honored the fallen officer while helming the stage at Belmont Park’s UBS Arena in the Long Island hamlet of Elmont. Mr. Diller’s funeral was held earlier that day.
“I got some really bad news this morning. Someone told me there was an officer named Jonathan Diller, who passed away in the line of duty—he was from Long Island, right here,” said Mr. Bryan, 28, as a picture of Mr. Diller in uniform was shown on the arena’s big screen, per Breitbart News.
The Grammy Award-winning singer, known for hits like “Something in the Orange” and “I Remember Everything,” is a veteran, having served in the U.S. Navy for eight years before being honorably discharged in 2021 so that he could pursue music, per WeSalute.
“I want to say that it’s heartbreaking, and, uh, I can’t even imagine, so, uh, I’m gonna try my best to sing this and not mess it up,” the singer continued. “Just know that I respect and love you guys so much, and I’m so sorry,” Mr. Bryan said.
The Oklahoma native went on to perform “Jake’s Piano—Long Island,” a song from his 2023 self-titled album, “Zach Bryan.”
“That’s for officer Jonathan Diller, and any cop, any EMS, any first responders,” he said after concluding the song.
Fatal Shooting
Mr. Diller, 31, was shot on March 25 during a traffic stop in the Far Rockaway section of the Queens borough.The officer and his partner were investigating a Kia Soul illegally parked at a bus stop when a passenger in the vehicle, Guy Rivera, 34, shot Mr. Diller in the stomach below his bulletproof vest. Mr. Diller’s partner returned fire, shooting Mr. Rivera in the back, according to reports.
Despite being shot, Mr. Diller was able to disarm the suspect. The officer was rushed to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in Queens, where he later succumbed to his injury.
Mr. Rivera, who was hospitalized, was later charged with first- and second-degree murder and weapons charges, among other offenses. The driver of the subcompact SUV, Lindy Jones, 41, faced charges stemming from the criminal possession of a weapon after an illegal firearm was found in his car, per a press release.
During a press conference held the day after the shooting, New York City Mayor Eric Adams called the incident “a senseless act of violence,” noting that both suspects had lengthy arrest records.
“And in this city, we have three problems that are really at the core. One is the recidivist problem. We have a real recidivist problem. These two individuals, one of the men had been arrested on a gun charge in April of 2023, the driver, he has more than 20 priors. The other has an equal amount of priors. Recidivism is a real issue,” Mr. Adams said.
“And the second issue that we have in this city is a severe mental health illness problem,” he continued in part, adding that the third problem was “random acts of violence.”
Despite public sentiment, Mr. Adams later asserted that New York City wasn’t “out of control.”
Remembering a Fallen Officer
Mr. Diller was the first NYPD officer to be killed in the line of duty in two years. He is survived by his wife, Stephanie, and their 1-year-old son, Ryan.The late officer was posthumously promoted to detective first grade during his funeral service, held March 30 at the Saint Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church in Massapequa in Long Island.
“I am so proud that thousands of people across the country are calling Jonathan a hero, but the truth is, he has always been a hero to Ryan and me,” Mrs. Diller said during her eulogy for her late husband, per News12.
“Our lives were pretty much perfect until five days ago when everything changed forever. He was called into duty and, in typical Jonathan fashion, he didn’t run away. He did what was right, and he did what he loved,” she shared.
“He wasn’t the type to sugarcoat anything, so I won’t sugarcoat this. This is devastating. It’s a devastating, senseless, and tragic loss for so many: our family, our friends, and the entire city of New York,” she continued. “It’s a shame that someone who brought so much positivity to the world was given such a negative ending.”
