Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) left the wake of slain New York Police Department officer Jonathan Diller after only ten minutes on Friday.
Hochul showed up at the Massapequa Funeral Home on Long Island around 1:45 p.m. for the second day of viewing. However, she abruptly left after making a photo-op-esque appearance.
While she headed toward her waiting car, a man appeared to yell at Hochul, confronting her while several cops standing nearby were seen applauding him.
“[It looked] like she was telling [Hochul] off,” an onlooker told the New York Post of the exchange. “It didn’t look like the widow had a kind word to say.”
The governor and several other New York Democratic lawmakers have been accused of having blood on their hands following Diller’s death after one of the men charged in the shooting was released from jail in April 2023 on gun charges.
The Sergeants Benevolent Association President Vincent Vallelong warned the city’s leaders to not attend Diller’s funeral, saying that they should feel “morally responsible” for his death.
“Their presence is more than a distraction. It is a stain on the legacy of a true hero who made the ultimate sacrifice,” Vallelong wrote in a letter.
Diller was shot and killed in the line of duty while conducting a routine traffic stop earlier this week. A stray bullet hit him after he and another officer stopped a vehicle that was illegally parked at a bus stop, according to police enforcement.
The suspect accused of firing the shots has been in and out of prison for related charges.
“I’m sure that many elected officials will attend PO Diller’s funeral, shed a few crocodile tears, and prominently seat themselves for a good photo opportunity. The sad reality is we don’t want them there,” Vallelong continued in his letter.
Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY) blamed the liberal city’s cashless bail and criminal justice reform that has increased crime and has led to innocent people being killed.
“I’m angry that this continuing revolving door of criminal justice is allowing people to be hurt,” he said.