Good Samaritans Lauded For Helping Stabbed Long Island Cop

PATCHOGUE, NY — Two good Samaritans who rushed to the side of a critically wounded Suffolk police officer were awarded the state's highest civilian honor — the Liberty Medal — during a special ceremony in the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Patchogue on Wednesday.

Guillermo Sandoval, a Marine Corps veteran, and Frank “J.R.” Recupero, a retired New York police officer, jumped in to save the life of Officer Christopher Racioppo after he was stabbed in an altercation with a drunk driving suspect in Patchogue back in April.

The pair were tapped for the honor by state senators Alexis Weik and Anthony Palumbo.

The Liberty Medal is an award that must be approved by the Majority Leader and voted on by all members of the Senate through resolution. There are only a limited number of them and they are bestowed upon those who go above and beyond the call of duty, Weik said.

The heroic actions of Sandoval and Recupero was welcome news after a year of negativity, Weik said.

“It was one of those positive news stories that we couldn't get enough of, and we watched the story over and over again, happily, because it was one of those things that filled our hearts with joy," she added.

Sen. Anthony Palumbo hailed Recupero for his heroism.

“You do what cops do, you ran to danger,” he said.

On April 10, Racioppo saw a driver, Jonathan Nunez, 25, driving erratically on South Ocean Avenue, and when he tried to stop the car, Nunez ended up crashing it and ran away from the scene, police said. Racioppo gave chase and caught up with Nunez in the front yard of Sandoval’s home, police said, adding that Racioppo was stabbed in a struggle with Nunez.

Recupero had been driving home from dinner when he witnessed Nunez’s car driving erratically, crash, and then Racioppo chase Nunez, so he stopped his car and ran over to help subdue Nunez until sergeants Frank Samartino and Nick Blaschuk, as well as officers Taylor Herbst, Christopher Morris, and Jarrett Hanwright arrived, police said.

Recupero described the night as a “very vicious night” that did not “hit him until weeks later."

That night his training kicked in, Recupero said, adding, "I would have done it 100 times over."

Racioppo had been stabbed in the leg with a knife that was about seven centimeters long and was losing blood because an artery and vein were cut, police said, adding that Sandoval used a belt as a tourniquet for Racioppo’s leg.

Racioppo was loaded into a car by Sgt. Samartino, who realized that there was not enough time for first responders to make it to the location, and drove him to Long Island Community Hospital in East Patchogue. He later underwent emergency surgery at Stony Brook Unversity Hospital Medical Center to repair the artery.

Sandoval said it was an event that was orchestrated by none other than "the man upstairs."

"I want to say that afterward, I did struggle those days that he was in the hospital," he said.

Assemb. Joseph DeStefano said the two men's training was a big help and showed the power of what can happen when members of the community get involved.

"I believe today that if it wasn't for these two men, this officer would not have survived," he added.

Racioppo was recently promoted to detective and he is expected to take up his new post when he returns to work.