Jonathan Nunez of Centereach pleaded guilty on Monday to stabbing a Suffolk police officer almost two years ago during a traffic stop in Patchogue.
The charges stem from an April 10, 2021 traffic stop in which Officer Christopher Racioppo saw a vehicle being driven by Nunez in an erratic manner with its lights off, after a chase Nunez ended up crashing the vehicle into another car. He then got out of his vehicle and was chased into a backyard where he stabbed Racioppo in his upper left leg. The officer nearly died from blood loses.
Nunez is due back in court on March 13, and is expected to be sentenced to 16 years in a state prison followed by five years of post-release supervision.