A man allegedly stabbed a private security guard at a Giant grocery store near the Congress Heights Metro station on Saturday morning.

D.C. police say that shortly after 11:30 a.m., the suspect stabbed the uniformed officer multiple times after the latter had approached him following a call for shoplifting. According to an incident report from the Metropolitan Police Department, the guard stated that the suspect stabbed him “in the neck, upper body, and back area, causing injuries” before he fled on foot “in an unknown direction.” The suspect is described as a black male, who has short hair and brown eyes.

The officer was taken to George Washington University Hospital, according to the report. The incident was recorded as an aggravated assault.