Biden holds NYC fundraiser, Trump attends slain NYPD officer's wake and more political stories

Fallen NYPD officer Jonathan Diller posthumously promoted at funeral service on Long Island

Large turnout expected at fallen NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller’s funeral

02:51

MASSAPEQUA, N.Y. — The funeral for fallen NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller was held Saturday on Long Island.

The service started at St. Rose of Lima Church in Massapequa, where Diller was posthumously promoted to detective first grade by Police Commissioner Edward Caban.

Mayor Eric Adams, PBA President Patrick Hendry and Diller’s wife, Stephanie, also delivered remarks.

Before the service, a long procession made its way from the funeral home in Massapequa Park to the church.

Chopper 2 Flying

A procession is heading to fallen NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller’s funeral in Massapequa. Chopper 2 is flying overhead. Watch the funeral service live here: https://cbsloc.al/4cGmLmj

Posted by CBS New York on Saturday, March 30, 2024

Police said Diller, 31, and his partner were conducting a traffic stop for an illegally parked car in Far Rockaway, Queens on Monday afternoon when someone in the vehicle pulled out a gun and pointed it at the officers. Police said there was an exchange of gunfire, and Diller was struck in the torso below his bullet-resistant vest.

Diller was rushed to a local hospital, where he later died.

Police said Diller was with the NYPD for three years and worked with the department’s Community Response Team in Queens. He grew up in Franklin Square and lived in Massapequa Park with his wife and their 1-year-old son, Ryan.

Hundreds attended wakes for Diller on Thursday and Friday. Former President Donald Trump, Gov. Kathy Hochul and other state and local officials were among the mourners who paid their respects.

Support for Diller’s family has been pouring in from across the area. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation announced it will pay off the mortgage on the Diller family’s home, and other organizations have made donations to cover funeral costs and Ryan’s future education.

The alleged gunman, identified as 34-year-old Guy Rivera, has been charged with first-degree murder of a police officer, attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon. He was also injured in the shooting and remains in the hospital.

The alleged driver of the vehicle, Lindy Jones, has been charged with criminal possession of a loaded firearm and possession of a defaced weapon. CBS New York learned that at the time of the traffic stop, Jones was out on $75,000 bail for a prior weapons offense.

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Biden holds NYC fundraiser, Trump attends slain NYPD officer’s wake and more political stories

Biden holds NYC fundraiser, Trump attends slain NYPD officer’s wake and more political stories – CBS News

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President Biden participated in a star-studded fundraiser in New York City with former Democratic Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton in a show of support. Former President Donald Trump attended slain NYPD officer Jonathan Diller’s wake on Long Island. Republican strategist Leslie Sanchez and Democratic strategist Joel Payne join CBS News to discuss their New York visits.

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Trump to attend wake for fallen NYPD officer as he ramps up rhetoric on crime

Former President Donald Trump is expected to attend the wake for New York Police Officer Jonathan Diller on Thursday.

Diller was killed Monday when he was shot in Queens after he approached an illegally parked vehicle.

New York police spokesperson Tarik Sheppard said the officers were expecting Trump at the wake in Massapequa on Long Island.

Trump previously posted on Truth Social that his “heartfelt prayers go out to the family” of Diller, adding that Diller’s “life was taken by a murderous career criminal.”

“To Officer Diller’s family, and all of the other brave men and women of law enforcement who put your lives on the line every day, we love you, we appreciate you, and we will always stand with you!” Trump said in his post.

Trump was already in New York, and he attended a hearing Monday in the hush money case against him. He has not held a major campaign event since March 16.

“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,” Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement Wednesday.

Trump has often railed against crime rates in New York City, and he has falsely asserted that the city’s violent crime rate “hit unimaginable records.” The rate of major crimes is down by more than 20% since 2001, according to police crime data.

In his rhetoric about crime, Trump has often blamed his likely opponent in November, President Joe Biden. Biden will also be in New York on Thursday for a major campaign fundraising event alongside former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

New York Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban this week mourned Diller on X, saying that “this city lost a hero, a wife lost her husband, and a young child lost their father.”

“We struggle to find the words to express the tragedy of losing one of our own,” Caban said in the post. “The work that Police Officer Jonathan Diller did each day to make this city a safer place will NEVER be forgotten.”

Diller received a dignified transfer Tuesday, looked on by New York police officers paying their respects.

The last time a New York City officer died in the line of duty was in January 2022, when Detectives Wilbert Mora, 27, and Jason Rivera, 22, were killed responding to a 911 call in Harlem.

Megan Lebowitz

Megan Lebowitz is a politics reporter for NBC News.

Jonathan Dienst, Tom Winter and Summer Concepcion contributed.

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Trump expected to attend wake of slain NYPD officer

Former President Donald Trump is expected to attend the wake for slain New York Police Department officer Jonathan Diller on Thursday afternoon, NYPD spokesperson Tarik Shepard told NBC News.

Diller’s wake is scheduled on Thursday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Massapequa, Long Island. Diller was fatally shot Monday in Far Rockaway, Queens after he and his partner approached a vehicle that was illegally parked at a bus stop. The suspect inside the vehicle shot Diller below his bullet-proof vest, Police Commissioner Edward Caban said, according to the Associated Press.

Reached for comment, Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump is “moved by the invitation to join” Diller’s family and his colleagues “as they deal with his senseless and tragic death.”

Trump’s expected attendance at Diller’s wake comes as he continues to make baseless claims about the crime rate in New York. The former president has often made such claims while attacking state prosecutors who have brought charges against him, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. James brought the civil fraud case against him and Bragg brought charges of falsifying business records against him in his hush money case.

The former president has also repeatedly made unsubstantiated claims of undocumented migrants beating up police officers and driving up the crime rate in New York City to record highs.

“You know, in New York, what’s happening with crime is it’s through the roof, and it’s called ‘migrant,’” the former president said at a rally in Michigan last month. “They beat up police officers. You’ve seen that they go in, they stab people, hurt people, shoot people. It’s a whole new form, and they have gangs now that are making our gangs look like small potatoes.”

Jonathan Dienst

Jonathan Dienst is chief justice contributor for NBC News and chief investigative reporter for WNBC-TV in New York.

Tom Winter

Tom Winter is a New York-based correspondent covering crime, courts, terrorism and financial fraud on the East Coast for the NBC News Investigative Unit.

Summer Concepcion

Summer Concepcion is a politics reporter for NBC News.

Jake Traylor

Jake Traylor is a 2024 NBC News campaign embed.

Associated Press contributed.

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Mother recounts brutal attack on daughter in Queens and heroic neighbor who came to the rescue

02:05

NEW YORK — A mother spoke out Sunday after saving her daughter from an attack right outside of their apartment door in Queens.

The attacker, who was reportedly hiding in the stairwell, surprised the teenager.

Ring camera video shows the moment a man jumps from a stairwell and grabs the terrified teenager, who was returning home from walking the dogs.

“Just the most horrific scream you can think of. It just … a stump and a scream,” Adriana Alvarez said.

Alvarez heard her daughter’s screechy screams.

“I run out and I see her being dragged by this man down the fourth floor,” Alvarez said.

Her momma bear instincts kicked in.

“From the fourth to the first floor, we were just tumbling, fighting,” Alvarez said.

The attack happened on Jan. 23 at around 9 a.m. at their Astoria apartment on 25th Avenue. Her daughter’s attacker took off outside. Neighbor Gus Bougas heard Alvarez and the commotion.

“She came running out of the building, started screaming my name,” Bougas said.

Bougas grabbed the suspect, who was waiting for the mother and daughter across the street.

“We were touching, pushing each other,” Bougas said. “I put my foot in front and threw him on the floor and landed on top of him. Tried to keep him restrained until the cops came.”

Police said the suspect, 25-year-old George Vassiliou of Queens, was arrested and charged. Alvarez said her daughter worked with him at a local grocery store until things got weird.

“He started following her and started hiding behind cars,” Alvarez said.

The assault left the 18-year-old bruised and Alvarez badly injured.

“I had an orbital eye fracture,” Alvarez said. “I still have no feeling. There is a nerve damage. I had a dislocated shoulder, dislocated elbow.”

But she’s alive and eternally grateful to her neighbor.

“He’s definitely my hero,” Alvarez said. “God forbid if he wasn’t here, he would have ran away again.”

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Sources: 17-year-old arrested in dancer O’Shae Sibley’s stabbing death

Sources: Teenager arrested in connection with fatal stabbing in Brooklyn

00:26

NEW YORK — A 17-year-old has been arrested in the deadly gas station stabbing in Brooklyn over the weekend that left a beloved dancer dead, police sources say.

Charges have not yet been announced, although the case is being investigated as a possible hate crime.

Those who knew the 28-year-old victim were stunned by the senseless crime and the fact that an argument could turn deadly.

“They were dancing. They were filling up on gas, but they were voguing, doing crazy, I can promise you. I wasn’t there, but I can tell you just from what I saw that’s just how they are. He comes out here and stops the music and just starts dancing and voguing and carrying on,” Sibley’s neighbor and friend Beckenbaur Hamilton said.

Sibley was a man known for his dance moves. On Monday, he was mourned by many who believe he was the victim of a hate crime.

“He shows his colors. He’s not afraid. But he doesn’t go out there and say, ‘Oh, I’m this and that.’ But as soon as you see him you know that’s a proud gay man,” Hamilton said.

Surveillance video showed Sibley involved in a dispute with a group of people outside the Midwood gas station on Saturday night. Witnesses said they were dancing when a man walked up to them and allegedly made homophobic comments. Police said the two groups of people argued, and that’s when one man allegedly stabbed Sibley. One witness, who wanted to remain anonymous, said he tried to break up the argument.

“He pulled out a knife and he just stabbed him and he ran away,” the witness said.

The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating.

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NYPD: Driver hits 10 people while fleeing police on East Side, suspect in custody

10 injured after man driving stolen car flees police in Manhattan

02:36

NEW YORK — Police say the driver of a stolen car was taken into custody after hitting 10 people in Manhattan on Tuesday evening.

It happened during rush hour on Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street.

It started when officers were following the stolen vehicle and the driver tried to flee. As he did, he struck the pedestrians, including a 6-year-old and two cars along the way, police said.

NYPD briefing after 10 pedestrians struck on East Side

03:44

Police say a license plate reader tipped officers to the stolen maroon Hyundai at 45th Street and Second Avenue at around 5:30 p.m., and they followed that vehicle at a low rate of speed because of the heavy traffic.

The driver of the stolen car then hit a bicyclist on Lexington Avenue, somewhere between 42nd and 43rd streets and then hit a yellow cab closer to the intersection of 42nd before making a U-turn in the middle of the intersection at Lexington and 42nd and hitting a black livery cab driver, along with pedestrians.

“He pulled the gas and passed the bus and hit the yellow cab,” witness Carlos Cabrera said. “And then from the yellow cab, when he hit him, he went on the sidewalk and he hit the people on the street.”

Witnesses watched as good Samaritans caught up with the driver, who was later arrested. Police said the driver is 20 years old and doesn’t have a New York State driver’s license. His charges are pending.

Officials said the people injured ranged in age from 6 to 72. Eight of them were transported to Bellevue Medical Center and two refused medical attention. Some of the injuries were ankle-related and abrasions, but all are non-life threatening.

Watch Chopper 2 over the scene

Chopper 2 Flying

Chopper 2 is over the scene after10 pedestrians were struck by a vehicle fleeing police on Manhattan’s East Side. Watch more: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/live/ Read more: http://cbsn.ws/452yqHY

Posted by CBS New York on Tuesday, August 1, 2023

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