An Athens-Clarke County, Ga., police officer was attacked and stabbed Tuesday night while working security in a grocery store.

Sgt. Courtney Gale was working at a Kroger store as a security guard while off duty. At around 9:30 Tuesday night she confronted a suspicious man.

According to police, the man attacked Gale with a kitchen knife. She was stabbed repeatedly. As of Wednesday night she was in critical condition after four surgeries.

The incident reportedly began when a Kroger customer told Gale that a man was pushing a shopping cart full of suitcases and opening packages of meat.

Witnesses told the Associated Press that Gale approached the man, and he lunged at her, knocked her down, pinned her to the ground, and started stabbing her.

Customers kicked the man to make him stop. The suspect did not leave the store until a manager confronted him.

Steve Anthony Eberhart, 44, was arrested later as he ran through a nearby parking lot. He has been charged with aggravated assault and felony obstruction of a law enforcement officer. He is being held without bond at the Clarke County Jail.