Driver pleads not guilty in NYPD Det. Jonathan Diller's killing

NEW YORK -- Lindy Jones pleaded not guilty Tuesday in last month's deadly shooting of NYPD Det. Jonathan Diller in Far Rockaway, Queens.

Diller, 31, was shot and killed during a traffic stop on March 25. Prosecutors said Jones was behind the wheel of the car when his passenger, Guy Rivera, pulled out a gun and opened fire .

The Queens district attorney says Jones told police he and Rivera were getting liquor from a store, and then also claimed he did not know Rivera but picked him up hitchhiking. Jones allegedly said, "I can't shake the way he did that," and "I didn't know it was going to go left like that."

Jones was charged with criminal possession of a loaded firearm and possession of a defaced weapon. After Tuesday's arraignment, he was remanded without bail.

There were about 100 officers from Diller's precinct and unit inside the courtroom, and the president of the Police Benevolent Association spoke afterward.

"We're glad that this judge on this case now did the right thing and remanded this violent individual. It doesn't matter how long this case takes, we're going to continue to pack these courtrooms to make sure that there's justice for our hero brother Jonathan Diller," said PBA President Patrick Hendry.

Jones faces 15 years if convicted in this case, plus another 15 years for an unrelated robbery case involving a deadly weapon. He was out on $75,000 bail at the time of Diller's killing, and had previously been convicted of attempted murder.

His next court date is set for June 12. As for Rivera, he is scheduled to appear in court on May 7 to face several charges, including first-degree murder of a police officer .

Traffic stop turned deadly

The NYPD said Diller and his partner were conducting a traffic stop around 5:45 p.m. near the intersection of Mott Avenue and Beach 20th Street. As they approached the car, someone inside allegedly pointed a gun at them. Shots were fired, and Diller was struck below his bullet proof vest.

The 31-year-old had been with the department for three years and was remembered as a "cop's cop." He grew up in Franklin Square before moving to Massapequa Park, where he lived with his wife, Stephanie, and their 1-year-old son, Ryan.