Barstool Sports founder raises $1.5M for family of slain NYPD officer

By Sarah Calams
Police1

NEW YORK — Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, a sports and pop culture website, has raised $1.5 million for the family of slain NYPD officer Jonathan Diller.

Diller, 31, was fatally shot earlier this week during a traffic stop in Queens. Diller and his partner pulled Lindy Jones, 41, and Guy Rivera, 34, over after they were illegally parked in a bus stop.

Rivera was asked to step out of the car numerous times but refused. He eventually got out of the car — shooting Diller in the torso under his vest. Diller’s partner shot Rivera once in the back.

Portnoy posted a video on X, formally known as Twitter, thanking his fans and followers for donations to Diller’s family. Donations came in at $750K and Portnoy committed to matching whatever was raised.

“With the matching of the funds, that brings the total to $1.5 million that will go directly to the family,” Portnoy said.

Rivera has been arrested by the NYPD 21 times, including for nine felonies. He was released from prison in 2021 after serving nearly five years for criminal sale of a controlled substance, according to Department of Correction records.

“Routine traffic stop, pulled over two guys, a million priors, been in and out of jail a million times and they just open fire on him, basically,” Portnoy said. “Tragic. Leaves behind a one-year-old child, his wife. I know money doesn’t cure this. Nothing can cure this but it’s the least we can do and Barstool, myself, we’ve got a long history supporting the cops, supporting the boys in blue, supporting first responders. It’s just awful, so whatever we can do to support it, we will.”

Diller leaves behind his wife, Stephanie, and 1-year-old son. Jones, who has 14 prior arrests, was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and defacing a weapon. Rivera was charged with murder of a police officer, attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon.

A GoFundMe for Diller has currently raised over $570,000.