Central Islip Man Found Guilty For Stabbing Officer In The Face

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY - A Central Islip man was found guilty on Wednesday for stabbing a Suffolk police officer in the face during a welfare check in 2016, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini.

Mark Caraway, 42, was convicted of attempted aggravated murder of a police officer and five counts of aggravated assault on a police officer.

In August 2016, police responded to a 911 call requesting a welfare check on Caraway, who was living on Oakland Avenue, the DA said.

Caraway was reportedly acting irrationally, threatening to hurt himself and others in the home and had barricaded himself in the basement of the house, the DA said.

“The officers could hear Caraway throwing things around and making noise in the room,” Sini said. “When the noise stopped, police thought [Caraway] might have injured himself so they entered the barricaded room to check on his wellbeing."

When police officers entered the room, Caraway, who was armed with two knives, slashed one of the officers in the face several times, nearly severing his nose, the DA said.

The officer, a 24-year veteran of the department who was assigned to the Emergency Services Section at the time of the incident, underwent four hours of surgery for his injuries at Stony Brook University Hospital.

Caraway refused to drop the weapons and officers discharged a taser to try to subdue him, the DA said.

After multiple attempts to tase him, Caraway continued to be aggressive and another responding officer fired a single shot at Caraway, striking him in the abdomen, the DA said.

He was treated for his injuries at Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, where he was arraigned and remanded without bail on September 12, 2016 by Suffolk County Court Justice Stephen L. Braslow.

The trial began on April 23 and the jury deliberated for six hours before finding him guilty on all charges.

Caraway was remanded without bail and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6 in front of Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice John B. Collins.

He faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison on the attempted murder and a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison on the assault charges for a total maximum sentence of 50 years to life in prison.

“Police officers put their lives on the line every time they report for duty, and we will not tolerate violence against those who are sworn to keep us safe,” Sini said.

“This attack was a stark reminder of the sacrifice our officers make each and every day to protect our communities,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart said. “On behalf of the police department, I thank the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office for bringing this perpetrator to justice.”

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