Gov. Hochul Gets Frosty Treatment At Slain NYPD Officer’s Wake

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was not welcome at the wake for slain NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller on Friday afternoon.

Gov. Hochul leaves wake for slain NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller after confrontation https://t.co/9HSYxd2jHH pic.twitter.com/0lytirrtSe

— New York Post (@nypost) March 29, 2024

According to the New York Post, Hochul arrived at the Massapequa Funeral Home on Long Island around 1:45 p.m.

However, she was only at the event for 10 minutes and was outside the building when an emotional mourner confronted her and seemingly asked her to leave. Per the news outlet, a group of attendees clapped as the man who confronted the governor walked away.

🚨BREAKING: NY Governor Hochul asked to leave wake for slain NYPD officer Jonathan Diller.

Hochul was only in the venue for about 10 minutes before she was spotted in a clash with a man in a black suit.

Several cops waiting outside the funeral home then clapped as he walked… pic.twitter.com/yffVcJn2aC

— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) March 29, 2024

Aside from the man, people inside the building also told Hochul to get out, CBS News New York reported.

As reported by the Daily Wire, Hochul met with Diller’s 29-year-old widow during her short time at the wake. The late cop’s widow was, however, cold towards her, as reported by a witness, who told the New York Post, “[It looked] like she was telling [Hochul] off.”

“It didn’t look like the widow had a kind word to say,” the witness added.

Before the funeral services, Sergeants Benevolent Association president Vincent J. Vallelong warned members of the City Council not to attend the event.

“Their presence is more than a distraction. It is a stain on the legacy of a true hero who made the ultimate sacrifice,” he said, adding that city leaders are “morally responsible” for the killing.

Hochul and other New York lawmakers have faced heavy controversy over Diller’s death, as it came out that one of the suspects in the murder was freed on a gun charge last year.

Diller was shot during a routine traffic stop in Queens on March 25. One of the people in the car Diller pulled up, Guy Rivera, opened fire on the police officer, hitting him in the stomach where his bulletproof vest did not cover.

Diller, 31, was rushed to a hospital but he did not survive his wounds.

Rivera and Lindy Jones, the ex-con who was behind the wheel of the car during the shooting, were both arrested. Rivera was injured in the gunfire when Diller’s partner shot back at him. He has now been charged with first-degree murder of a police officer and criminal possession of a weapon in the case. He was also charged with attempted murder for attempting to shoot Diller’s partner.

In total, Rivera has been arrested by the NYPD 21 times before Diller’s shooting. He was released on a $75,000 bail in last year’s gun charges and was meant to be back in court on the day of the shooting.

The revelation of Rivera’s criminal record awakened calls against the bail reform law and other progressive crime policies, which many argue is the culprit behind the rise of criminal recidivism in New York.