Suffolk County Police arrested a Centereach man for stabbing a uniformed police officer following a motor vehicle crash in Patchogue.

A Fifth Precinct officer in a marked unit observed a 1999 Mercedes Benz, driven by Jonathan Nunez, driving erratically with no headlights on southbound South Ocean Avenue. The officer activated his overhead lights in an attempt to pull over the vehicle. The Mercedes Benz crashed into a 2004 Nissan at the intersection of South Ocean Avenue and Brook Street.

Nunez exited his vehicle following the crash, failed to comply with the officer’s commands and engaged in a physical altercation with the officer in the yard of the home located at 473 South Ocean Ave. During the altercation, Nunez stabbed the officer in the leg. Two good Samaritans and responding Fifth Precinct officers took Nunez into custody.

The officer 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 is listed in critical condition.

Nunez, 25, was charged with Aggravated Assault Upon a Police Officer, Driving While Intoxicated and Resisting Arrest. He was admitted to Long Island Community Hospital in East Patchogue and will be arraigned at a later date.

The driver of the Nissan, of Patchogue, was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.