One of the "accomplishments" of the Biden administration is that because criminals have become the victims, America's major cities have devolved into little more than war zones. One of the worst of those battlefields is New York City. On Monday night, the NYPD, New York's finest, once again lost one of its own in yet another senseless act of violence. Officer Jonathan Diller, 31, was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Queens by a career criminal who never should have been out on the streets.

Alleged cop killer has been arrested 21 times and was on our streets? How is this possible? https://t.co/gR9wiQfQiM

— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) March 26, 2024

At around 5:50 p.m., Diller and his partner approached a car that was stopped in front of a bus stop. The two repeatedly ordered Rivera to step out of the vehicle, which he refused. When Diller attempted to physically remove him from the car, Rivera shot him, the bullet hitting him under his police vest. Deon Peters was a witness to the incident and stated that Diller had cried out that he had been hit. Diller's partner returned fire, hitting Rivera. Diller was rushed to an area hospital in critical condition. He was later pronounced dead. Rivera was also rushed to the hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. 

NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban tweeted out on X,

“Tonight 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. The work that Police Officer Jonathan Diller did each day to make this city a safer place will NEVER be forgotten. Our prayers are with his family, loved ones, and brothers and sisters in blue.”

A few of those who might be partially responsible for Rivera and his accomplice, 41-year-old Lindy Jones, being out on the streets also gave statements. During a press conference at Jamaica Hospital, New York City Mayor Eric Adams stated,

“We lost Jonathan tonight. Same bad people, doing bad things to good people, less than a year, he's back on the streets with another gun. The person had a total disregard for the safety of this city. I cannot say it any clearer: it is the good guys against the bad guys. And these bad guys are violent. They carry guns. And the symbol of our public safety, which is that police uniform, they have a total disregard for."

A perp who was arrested with a gun charge in April of 2023 was released and went on to kill an NYPD officer.

Looks like it’s not just the perp who has blood on his hands tonight.

— Zeek Arkham 🇺🇸 (@ZeekArkham) March 26, 2024

Adams added that Diller's death was "extremely painful for this city." New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called Diller's death "senseless" and added, "My prayers are with his family, loved ones, and the members of the NYPD... His heroism and service will never be forgotten." Both Rivera and Jones had lengthy criminal histories. Rivera had been arrested a whopping 21 times, nine of those arrests being felonies. He had been in and out of the New York prison system, beginning in 2011 for assault, and was released in 2014. He was released again in 2021 after serving five years for criminal sale of a controlled substance. Jones has an equally stellar record, with 14 previous arrests and being in and out of prison, including 10 years for attempted murder and robbery from 2003 to 2013, and more recently, he was arrested for second-degree criminal possession of a weapon in April of 2023 but was let loose on $75,000 bail. 

Mayor Eric Adams called this "a recidivist problem." However, most New Yorkers most likely call it what it is: being soft on crime. In 2019, the New York Legislature passed a law eliminating cash bail for most misdemeanors and some non-violent felonies. Get arrested, go to jail for a few hours, then you're out. No sweat. District Attorneys like Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg are also contributing to the crime wave. In 2023, Bragg downgraded 938 felonies to misdemeanors or lesser felonies, a whopping 60 percent of cases. Bragg has only gotten convictions in 52 percent of his most serious cases and has stated that he would only seek jail time for the most serious offenders. No word on whether killing cops is considered serious. Gov. Hochul recently deployed National Guard troops to patrol New York City's subways after several horrific attacks on subway platforms. But because political correctness is never far from the minds of Democrats, Hochul banned the use of "long guns" by the guard after several state officials said the subway was being treated as a "war zone." 

Police Benevolent Association (PBA) President Patrick Hendry bluntly summed it up.

“These attacks on New York City police officers have to end right now. We have a family upstairs right now that’s devastated. We have police officers in this hallway who have lost a brother. It has to end now.”

Officer Diller leaves behind his wife and a one-year-old son.

It’s a good time to remember that when two NYPD cops were shot and killed in Harlem, the local NYC council person at the time, a radical leftist and member of the progressive caucus, hosted a vigil for the killer.

— Reza Chowdhury (@RezaC1) March 26, 2024