Florida man stabbed off-duty cop who tried to stop a robbery and stole patrol car: court documents

An off-duty Florida police officer who was picking up his laundry panicked during a dry cleaners robbery and was stabbed twice, authorities said.

According to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital, Glenn Gotell, 73, was in the process of robbing an employee at Cost Less Dry Cleaners in Greenacres, Florida, around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday when an off-duty deputy came in to pick up his clothes.

Authorities said Gotell entered the local store, approached the cashier and ordered him to “open the box.” According to court documents, an unidentified, off-duty Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputy arrived on the scene, entered the store and quickly became aware of active criminal activity.

When the officer intervened, the suspect stabbed him twice, once in the upper body and once in the hand. The officer was taken to a local hospital and is in stable condition, police said.

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According to authorities, after the attack, Gotell allegedly stole the deputy's patrol car, abandoned it at a nearby intersection and then hid in a local library.

“The stolen patrol vehicle was found minutes after the attempted robbery and less than half a mile away,” court documents state.

While searching the area, local police spoke to witnesses who said Gotell was homeless, according to court documents.

A witness reportedly pointed to two shopping carts parked near the entrance to the public library and said one of them belonged to Gotell.

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Authorities also found a pair of blue jeans, a belt and a pair of Nike shoes that Gotell was wearing during the attempted robbery and later discarded while fleeing.

Authorities in Florida said Glenn Gottell allegedly stole a police officer's vehicle following the attempted robbery. (Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office)

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Authorities entered the library, found Gotell and arrested him.

Gotell faces several charges, including attempted murder of a police officer, armed robbery, armed burglary and grand theft auto. Police said the investigation into the stabbing is ongoing.