A deli worker was stabbed in the leg Friday morning while trying to stop a shoplifter in Soundview, according to police sources and witnesses.
Police say the violence broke out just before 10 a.m. outside a deli on Westchester and Stratford Avenue.
Surveillance video shows a chaotic fight spilling onto the sidewalk, with a bat and knife seen flying in the air.
Witnesses say the suspect was trying to steal a pack of cookies before workers confronted him. One man who saw the incident says the suspect became violent and stabbed the 26-year-old deli worker in the leg before running away.
The victim was taken to the hospital and is expected to recover.
Investigators were seen collecting evidence at the scene, and a pool of blood stained the sidewalk for hours after the stabbing.
Neighbors say the deli has been part of the community for decades and claim shoplifting has been an ongoing issue there.
Police are searching for a man wearing all black, one witness said he was in a leather jacket. Anyone with information is asked to call police.