Greenport man punches officer responding to fight, police say

A Greenport man was arrested and charged with felony assault after he punched a police officer twice in the head Friday night, officials said.

As Southold Town Police responded to a report of a fight at about 11:45 p.m., they were flagged down by pedestrians at the intersection of Main Road and Front Street in the downtown section of the Village of Greenport, Southold police said in a news release. The pedestrians identified one of those involved in the fight as Christian Davis, 21, who was walking north on Main Road, police said.

Officers, in an attempt to investigate Davis’ involvement in the fight, ordered him to stop, police said. Davis, “in an irate manner,” approached an officer and “suddenly punched the officer in the head two times with a closed fist,” the news release states.

When the police told Davis he was under arrest, Davis “refused” to place his hands behind his back and struggled with the officers, according to the release. Davis was eventually handcuffed and taken to police headquarters, where he stayed overnight to await arraignment Saturday morning, police said. No other details were available about the nature of the fight or if any other injuries were reported.

Davis was charged with assault on a police officer to cause bodily injury, a class D felony, and resisting arrest, a class A misdemeanor, police said. He was awaiting arraignment Saturday at Southold Town Justice Court in Southold, police said. Attorney information for Davis was not immediately available.