During the Wednesday, March 27, White House press conference, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre gave a stunning answer when asked about the murder of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller, a husband and father of a young child, at the hands of a career criminal. Instead of taking a stand against soft-on-crime policies that let criminals back out on the streets time and time again, KJP blamed “gun violence” and didn’t even say the officer’s name,
As background, Officer Diller was a three-year veteran of the NYPD who was married and the father of a 1-year-old boy. He and other officers were trying to remove a suspect, later identified as 34-year-old repeat offender Guy Rivera, from the passenger seat of a car stopped in Far Rockaway, Queens. During the altercation, Rivera fired a weapon and struck Officer Diller in the stomach.
According to NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban, the shooting came when a pair of officers including Officer Diller approached the car and Rivera, who has 21 prior arrests, drew a firearm and aimed it at the officers, refusing to exit his vehicle. Rivera soon started firing and one of his rounds hit Officer Diller below his body armor. Officer Diller died of his wound.
Speaking about the situation, KJP didn’t even say the officer’s name when trying to show sympathy for the officer’s family. Doing so, she said, “Look, our hearts go out to this officer who tragically lost his life in the line of duty. We’re also praying for his family during this difficult time, who now has an empty seat at their dinner table.”
Continuing, she claimed that President Biden is grateful for the sacrifices of first responders, but then blamed “gun violence” for the death of the officer rather than the career criminal who pulled the trigger. She said, “President Biden is deeply grateful for the sacrifices police officers make to keep our communities safe. This shooting is yet another painful reminder of the toll of gun violence.”
KJP then went on to push for gun control, demanding that Congress “act” to make American communities safer, by which she meant not a crackdown on crime but a crackdown on firearm rights. She said, “Obviously, more work needs to be done. We need Congress to continue to act on making sure that our communities are safe, and again, our hearts go out to this officer and his family. It’s a difficult time for them.”
Watch KJP here:
Former President Trump, in contrast, said that he would be attending the funeral of the fallen officer. He announced as much on Truth Social, saying, “Our heartfelt prayers go out to the family of highly decorated NYPD officer Jonathan Diller, whose life was taken by a murderous career criminal yesterday during a traffic stop in Queens.”
Continuing, he added, “The “thug” in question has 21 prior arrests and just recently got out of prison – he NEVER should have been let back out on the streets. To Officer Diller’s family, and all of the other brave men and women of law enforcement who put your lives on the line every day, we love you, we appreciate you, and we will always stand with you!”
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