What happened: Thousands gathered on Saturday for the funeral of Jonathan Diller, a New York Police Department detective who was fatally shot during a routine traffic stop.

The scene: Diller approached the suspects as they sat in an illegally parked car, and asked the passenger to step out. Footage shows Diller falling to the ground yelling after the passenger allegedly shot him in the stomach. The driver was charged with illegal gun possession, while the alleged shooter faces murder, attempted murder, and gun charges.

  • Their rap sheets: Guy Rivera, the alleged shooter, had 21 prior arrests, while the driver had been arrested 14 times and convicted of attempted murder and robbery.

  • Progressive crime agenda: Rivera was released in New York in 2021, but his parole supervision ended the next year after a law reducing sentences was passed. New York politicians have also passed bail reform and other measures blamed for rising recidivism.

Why it matters: Detective Diller’s death showcases the bipartisan outrage against lenient approaches to crime.

  • The family: Diller’s widowed wife demanded “change” while giving a eulogy and asked how long it would be “before we start protecting” officers. She reportedly scolded New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in a one-on-one conversation at her slain husband’s wake.

  • Hochul was confronted by another mourner outside Diller’s wake and was applauded for leaving.

  • New York City’s Democratic mayor responded by calling for more prosecutions and judges to target repeat offenders.

  • Former President Donald Trump attended the wake and prayed with Diller’s family before giving “law and order” remarks to the public.

Zoom out: Conservatives are highlighting the tragic stories of individuals like Jonathan Diller and Laken Riley to humanize the public safety issue ahead of the November elections.

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