Security Guard Stabbed During Shoplifting Incident in Midtown Manhattan

A security guard at a Midtown Duane Reade was injured after being stabbed by a suspect attempting to steal a can of soda. The incident occurred just before 3 p.m. on Thursday at the Third Avenue and East 52nd Street store.

The guard confronted the shoplifter after noticing him trying to take the soda. An argument ensued, during which the suspect pulled out a knife and stabbed the guard in the hand and shoulder. The attacker then fled the scene and remains at large as of late Thursday. It is unclear whether he successfully stole the drink.

The police reported that the guard is in stable condition following the attack.

Despite record-low numbers of murders and shootings in New York City this year, stabbing incidents continue to affect the city’s residents.

Last Wednesday, a man armed with a knife stabbed two people during the morning rush at Grand Central Station. The suspect, Gavin Ferguson from The Bronx, managed to evade police for several hours before being apprehended and charged with attempted murder.

In related violence, a fight at a Manhattan subway station last Saturday left a man hospitalized with a knife still embedded in his neck.