Nearly 100 NYPD police officers filled a courtroom and the hallway at a Queens court on Tuesday as one of the suspects in the shooting death of Officer Jonathan Diller was arraigned.
New York City police officers filled the hallways and pews of a Queens courthouse in a sign of solidarity for their fallen NYPD brother Officer Jonathan Diller as Lindy Jones, who has been charged in connection to the shooting death of Diller, was arraigned on Tuesday.
Jones and Guy Rivera were indicted earlier this month on charges connected to the shooting death of Diller in Far Rockaway in late March.
About 100 NYPD officers were seen in the hallways and the back benches of the Queens courthouse, awaiting the arrival of Jones.
When Jones walked in, he was surrounded by three court officers and his attorney, who told the judge on the bench that his client was "presumed to be innocent."
Rivera, who is suspected of fatally shooting Diller during a traffic stop, was indicted for first-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder for attempting to fire his weapon at an NYPD sergeant at the scene.
Both Rivera and Jones were indicted on charges of criminal possession of a weapon after a second weapon was found inside the car they were in.
Jones, who was arraigned on Tuesday, was indicted on two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
In court Tuesday, Queens Assistant District Attorney Gabriel Reale read a statement Jones made when he was interrogated by detectives.
In the statement, Jones said he was the driver and that the investigators were trying to get him to implicate Rivera. But he suggested police have cameras, and the footage would tell the story.
Jones also told detectives there was another gun in the car, which he believed police had found.
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"That’s why I’m still here," Jones said. "I gave them my DNA. It isn’t gonna have my DNA on that."
He also told detectives he did not know the situation was going to go "left" the way it did, adding there was no reason for that.
Jones said his driver's license was good, and his car was legit, noting there was no reason for officers to search his car.
"They pulled up behind my car," he told detectives. "I went in the liquor store and came back to my car. They tried to say I was parked in a bus stop. They got cameras out there. What am I going to tell them that they don’t already know?"
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When it came to Rivera, Jones said the prosecution was not going to offer him a plea or try to persuade Rivera to place guilt on Jones.
"They’re coming down on him," Jones said. "There’s nothing he can say besides I didn’t have nothing to do with it."
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said at the time of Jones’ indictment that her office motioned to make sure he was remanded not just for the gun possession charges but also previous gun possession charges, and to make sure he stands trial because he is a flight risk.
She also said Jones admitted in court that he "shoots people."
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At about 5:40 p.m. on March 25, prosecutors allege, Diller witnessed Rivera carrying what appeared to be a gun in the front pocket of his sweatshirt. Rivera and Jones entered a Kia Soul, with Jones getting into the driver’s seat of the vehicle.
NYPD officers, including Diller, approached the Kia and asked Rivera multiple times to open his window before they were able to open the car door.
Rivera then allegedly pulled out a gun from his clothing, prosecutors claim, and shot Diller in the stomach.
Stepheny Price of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
