An off-duty police officer was stabbed by a Florida man during a robbery attempt, and the man then stole the patrol car, according to court documents.

A dry cleaning business was the site of an attempted robbery, and an off-duty Florida police officer who was picking up his laundry was stabbed twice, authorities said.

An off-duty deputy entered Cost Less Dry Cleaners in Greenacres, Florida, at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday and interrupted 73-year-old Glenn Gotell in the process of robbing a clerk.

An unidentified off-duty Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputy arrived at the scene and quickly became aware of the active crime situation.

The suspect stabbed the deputy twice, once in the torso and also in his hand, after the officer intervened. The officer was taken to a local hospital and is in stable condition, according to police.

After the attack, Gotell is alleged to have stolen the deputy's patrol car and abandoned it at a nearby intersection before hiding in a local library.

The stolen patrol vehicle was recovered within minutes of the attempted robbery and was less than a half-mile away, according to court documents.

Local police conversed with witnesses during the search, and they reported that Gotell was homeless, according to court documents.

One witness claimed to have spotted two shopping carts near the library entrance and identified one of them as belonging to Gotell.

During the attempted robbery, Gotell was seen wearing a pair of blue jeans, a belt, and a pair of Nike shoes. These items were later found and discarded during his escape.

Authorities went inside the library and located and arrested Gotell.

Multiple charges, including attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, armed robbery, armed burglary, and grand theft of a motor vehicle, have been filed against Gotell. The police stated that the investigation into the stabbing is ongoing.