Terrell Harris of Hampton Bays found guilty of punching Southampton police officers; his lawyer will appeal.

A jury on Friday found a Hampton Bays man guilty of repeatedly punching a pair of officers when they caught up to him after he tried to flee in his vehicle, Suffolk authorities said.

Terrell Harris, 39, was found guilty of assault and other charges related to the Oct. 19 incident before acting Supreme Court Justice Bryan Browns in Riverhead, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney announced in a news release.

His defense attorney plans to appeal the conviction, citing police "escalation."

Harris hopped into a Ford SUV and fled his home during the early morning hours of Oct. 19 after a Southampton Town police officer “responded to a call for service” at the residence, according to Tierney’s office. Through “a database check,” the officer determined there were active warrants for Harris’ arrest for aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and driving while intoxicated. His license had also been revoked.

An hour later, that same officer found Harris parked outside the Hampton Bays Public Library. Alongside another officer who arrived for assistance, he approached Harris, who “immediately drove off at a high rate of speed,” the release said.

With their lights and sirens activated, both cops pursued Harris, who exceeded the speed limit before eventually pulling into his driveway, Tierney’s office said. As the officers tried to arrest him, Harris “became combative and punched both officers repeatedly, causing injuries,” the release said. More officers came to subdue and arrest him. The injured officers were transported to Riverhead's Peconic Bay Medical Center for treatment.

After a multiday trial, a jury found Harris guilty of two counts of second-degree assault, resisting arrest, second-degree unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and speeding, according to Tierney’s office. In a statement, the district attorney said: “Assaults on law enforcement in Suffolk County will never be tolerated.”

Tara Laterza, Harris' defense attorney, told Newsday she plans to appeal her client's conviction.

"While we respect the jury’s verdict, we strongly disagree with the outcome," Laterza said via text message. "From the beginning, our position has been that this encounter never needed to become physical and that the officers’ own escalation played a critical role in what occurred. We believe there are substantial issues for appeal, and we intend to pursue them vigorously."

Harris was ordered held without bail until his Sept. 22 sentencing, according to court records.