Town Honors Heroes Who Helped Save Life Of Officer

TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN, NY — Town of Brookhaven officials honored two local heroes for their efforts to save the life of a Suffolk police officer who was critically injured after a stabbing in Patchogue last week.

Last Saturday, officer Christopher Racioppo was stabbed by 25-year-old Jonathan Nunez, who ran away after crashing his car on South Ocean Avenue. He began fighting with Racioppo, who was attempting to arrest him, and eventually stabbed the officer in the leg.

He was transported to Long Island Community Hospital in East Patchogue and then transferred to Stony Brook University Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery for a ruptured artery and was listed in critical condition.

Retired NYPD officer Frank Recupero and Guillermo Sandoval, a member of VFW Post 400 and chairman of the Town of Brookhaven's Hispanic Advisory Board, both witnessed the incident and quickly stepped in to help.

Their actions helped to save Racioppo's life. Sandoval helped to stop the bleeding by applying a tourniquet to the leg wound while Recupero apprehended Nunez, holding him until police arrived to arrest him.

On Thursday, Supervisor Ed Romaine and the town council were joined by members of the VFW Post 400 in Farmingville to honor Sandoval and Recupero, presenting both with proclamations from the town for their heroic efforts.