Manhattan security guard stabbed trying to stop shoplifter from stealing soda

A security guard at a Duane Reade in Midtown Manhattan was stabbed by a shoplifter who was trying to steal a can of soda on Thursday, according to police and sources.

The dutiful worker at the convenience store on Third Avenue and East 52nd Street spotted the stinky-fingered suspect and confronted him just before 3 p.m., the NYPD and sources said.

An argument ensued between the two and the suspect knifed the security in the hand and shoulder, cops said.

The attacker fled and remained on the lam late Thursday.

It’s unclear if he made off with the soft drink.

The guard is in stable condition, police said.

Despite the Big Apple reporting record-low murders and shootings, stabbings continue to rock the city.

One knife-wielding maniac stabbed two people during the Wednesday morning rush at Grand Central Station. The man, later identified as Gavin Ferguson from The Bronx, managed to evade police for hours.

Ferguson was caught sometime Wednesday evening and charged with attempted murder.

Last Saturday, a person was rushed to the hospital with a knife still stuck in his neck after a fight broke out at a Manhattan subway station.

Last June, one young security guard at another Duane Reade in Midtown Manhattan was viciously stabbed during a shoplifting attempt and left in serious condition.