Police: Patchogue Man Resists Arrest, Two Injured Officers Sent to Hospital

A Patchogue man spotted by police walking with an open alcoholic beverage Tuesday afternoon made things much worse for himself when he turned violent on two officers, Suffolk County Police said. 

Eric Greaves, 28, a convicted sex offender, was walking on Bay Avenue near Terrell Street in Patchogue at 12:20 p.m. Tuesday when Pat Morash and Sean Neknez, Fifth Precinct Community Oriented Police Enforcement (COPE) officers, attempted to confront Greaves regarding the open container, police said. 

When the officers approached, Greaves became violent and attempted to steal a taser from one of the officers before he was arrested, police said. 

Morash and Neknez were treated for minor injuries and released from Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Center, police said.

Greaves was in possession of crack cocaine at the time of his arrest, police said, and following an investigation, police determined that Greaves is a Level 3 sex offender who had not registered in Patchogue. 

Greaves was convicted of second-degree rape in 2002 and spent nine months in jail, according to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services. Greaves' last registered address was a Suffolk County Department of Social Services .  

Greaves is charged with assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, attempted robbery, failing to register and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Greaves pled not guilty to the charges at his arraignment held at First District Court in Central Islip on Wednesday. Bail is set to $23,500 and his attorney is a public defender.

Updated Jan. 5 at 4:56 p.m.