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Jonathan Nunez, age 27, of Centereach, was sentenced to 16 years behind bars in Suffolk County Court on Monday, March 13. It followed his guilty plea to nearly a dozen charges, including aggravated assault on a police officer, stemming from an incident in Patchogue in April 2021.
Prosecutors said Suffolk County Police Officer Christopher Racioppo attempted to stop Nunez at around 10:30 p.m. on April 10, 2021 after observing him driving in an erratic manner with his lights off on South Ocean Boulevard.
When Racioppo activated his emergency lights, Nunez sped away and the officer chased him.
Nunez eventually crashed into another car “at a high rate of speed,” totaling both vehicles and leaving the other driver with minor injuries, prosecutors said. He then took off running into a nearby backyard.
Racioppo caught up to him and, as the two men struggled, Nunez stabbed Racioppo in his upper left leg, severing his femoral artery.
Several Good Samaritans were able to restrain Nunez until additional officers arrived and arrested him. Other witnesses tended to Racioppo as he lay bleeding.
Racioppo lost nearly his entire blood supply, and was taken to Long Island Community Hospital in extremely critical condition, according to prosecutors. He was later transferred to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he underwent life-saving blood transfusions and surgery.
“Police officers are subjected to threats and danger on the job every time they show up for work. When an honest hardworking police officer is attacked, it’s an attack on our community and order,” Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said in a statement.
“This defendant showed no respect for the law, the victim he crashed into nor the officer who attempted to stop him from doing even more damage, and now he will be serving a lengthy prison sentence for his actions.”
Nunez pleaded guilty to the following charges
- One count of Aggravated Assault of a Police Officer (felony)
- One count of Assault in the First Degree (felony)
- One count of Assault on a Police Officer (felony)
- Two counts of Assault in the Second Degree (felony)
- One count of Assault in the Third Degree, (misdemeanor)
- One count of Resisting Arrest, (misdemeanor)
- One count of Reckless Driving, (misdemeanor)
- One count of Leaving the Scene of an MVA with Injury (misdemeanor)
- One count of Driving While Impaired by Drugs (misdemeanor)
In addition to his prison time, Nunez must complete five years of post-release supervision.
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