Injured Suffolk PO To Throw Out 1st Pitch In Battle Of Badges

YAPHANK, NY — The hero cop who was stabbed earlier this year in Patchogue will throw out the first pitch during a “Battle of the Badges” that pits Suffolk County’s finest against Nassau County’s finest in a softball game to benefit the USA Patriots/Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team this Wednesday at Baseball Heaven in Yaphank.

The ceremonial first pitch will be thrown out by Suffolk County Police Officer Christopher Racioppo, who was stabbed back in April while attempting to stop a drunken driver who crashed his car in Patchogue. He was helped by several good Samaritans, including an ex-Marine and New York Police Department police officer, and then spent about two weeks recovering from a ruptured artery at Stony Brook Hospital Medical Center.

During the event, the Suffolk Lawmen will square off in a friendly match against the Nassau Lawmen. The Suffolk County Lawmen team is made up of correction officers and deputy sheriffs from the sheriff’s department, as well as police officers from the police department. The Nassau County Lawmen are made up of police officers from the Nassau County Police Department.

The opening ceremony will begin at 6:30 p.m. with the singing of the National Anthem, accompanied by Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard and the Suffolk County Police Department Pipes and Drums, according to the sheriff’s office.

This will be followed by the traditional coin flip featuring Suffolk Police Officer Matias Ferreira, a USA Patriot player, along with Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon, Suffolk Police Commissioner Stuart Cameron, and Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder.

The USA Patriots’ mission is “to bring athletic and like-minded veteran amputees together to promote the benefits of inclusive sport and therapeutic recreational activities, to inspire and motivate communities of people, to support children with physical challenges, and to operate as a vehicle that offers national opportunities for continued service to our country,” according to a news release.

The team travels the United States, highlighting its “athletic abilities” and sharing team members “comeback stories,” its website states. It is currently looking for host cities and sponsorships, according to the website.

Tickets are not required for the event. For more information, click here.