Overview
- Jurors in Queens returned a split verdict Wednesday after a brief hiccup when one panelist dissented during polling and the judge sent them back to deliberate.
- They acquitted Rivera of first-degree murder but found him guilty of aggravated manslaughter in Diller’s death, the attempted first-degree murder of Sgt. Sasha Rosen, and weapons possession.
- The case turned on synchronized body-camera and surveillance videos, with prosecutors saying Rivera intentionally fired after chambering a round and switching off the safety, while the defense said the gun discharged during a struggle.
- Sentencing is set for April 27, when victim impact statements will be heard.
- Diller, 31, was shot below his vest during a March 2024 traffic stop in Far Rockaway and was later posthumously promoted, drawing sustained support from NYPD colleagues who packed the courtroom.