Man Who Critically Stabbed Officer Faces Additional Charges: DA

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY — A Centereach man is facing additional charges after authorities said he stabbed and critically injuring a police officer in Patchogue this month.

Jonathan Nunez, 25, is charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, first-degree assault, assault on a police officer, two counts of second-degree assault, third-degree assault, resisting arrest, leaving the scene of an incident resulting in physical injury, reckless driving and operating a motor vehicle while impaired by a drug.

On April 10, Nunez was driving a 1999 Mercedes Benz southbound on South Ocean Avenue in Patchogue when he was seen driving erratically with no headlights on by Suffolk County Fifth Precinct Officer Christopher Racioppo, Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini said Wednesday.

Officer Racioppo activated his emergency lights and tried to pull him over when Nunez fled at a high rate of speed and crashed into a 2004 Nissan at the intersection of South Ocean Avenue and Brook Street, according to the DA.

Nunez got out of the car after the crash and ran away into the yard of a nearby home, the DA said. He then got into a fight with Racioppo and stabbed him in the leg, severing his femoral artery and a vein.

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Two good Samaritans assisted responding Fifth Precinct officers in rendering emergency medical aid to Officer Racioppo and apprehending Nunez.

"This defendant was allegedly high on drugs and driving erratically, and instead of pulling over and complying with lawful commands, he decided to speed through a residential area and ultimately attacked a police officer," Sini said. "These are all conscious decisions that the defendant made - decisions that put so many peoples’ lives at risk – including Officer Racioppo."

Racioppo was transported to Long Island Community Hospital in East Patchogue and then transferred to Stony Brook University Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery for the ruptured artery and was in critical condition, the DA said.

He was released from the hospital this week. After the incident, the driver of the Nissan was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

"Officer Racioppo is thankfully home today, but he has suffered a grave injury that will take a lot of time to come back from," Commissioner Geraldine Hart said. “It was a lesson in courage that we saw when Officer Racioppo was viciously attacked and officers came to his rescue without question."

Nunez was transported to Long Island Community Hospital where he was allegedly violent with the staff as well, according to Sini.

"The defendant was extremely combative and extremely violent," Sini said. "At no point did he have any interest in complying with lawful commands by members of the police department, and that behavior continued when he was brought to the hospital, where he was combative with the medical staff as well."

Nunez was arraigned before Suffolk County Court Judge Stephen Braslow and was remanded without bail. He is due back in court on June 2.

Suffolk police said Nunez plead not guilty to all the charges. If convicted of the top count, Nunez faces a maximum sentence of up to 30 years in prison.