A veteran Suffolk officer is recovering after being repeatedly stabbed in the face Saturday while responding to a domestic incident in Central Islip.

The suspect is in critical condition after he was shot by police.

Police say officers responded to a home on Oakland Avenue yesterday after 40-year-old Mark Caraway barricaded himself inside armed with knives. An individual had an order of protection against Caraway, according to investigators.

Emergency service officers entered the home, and police say Caraway stabbed an officer in the face.

Police say Caraway continued to be aggressive, and another emergency service officer fired one shot "in an attempt to prevent the perp from killing the officer."

The injured officer, who has not been identified, was taken to Stony Brook Hospital. He is in serious condition and requires facial surgery, but is expected to survive.

Authorities say the injured officer was stabbed repeatedly in the face and had his nose nearly severed. He underwent four hours of surgery and remains hospitalized.

The officer's identity has not been released, but authorities say he joined the Suffolk police department back in 1995 and has been in its Emergency Service Section for 12 years.

Caraway, who was shot in the stomach, remains in critical condition, officials say.