MORTIMER

WOONSOCKET— A liquor store owner foiled a would-be robber Tuesday after a struggle during which the holdup man stabbed himself.

John Quinn, the owner, said he was alone at U-Save Liquors, 399 Clinton St., around 10:30 p.m. when Kevin Mortimer, 20, of Woonsocket, entered and asked where he could find vodka.

He said he recognized Mortimer from an earlier visit.

“He was friendly,” Quinn said. “I showed him through the place. Then, as I crossed in front of him, which I, as a rule don’t do, especially at night, it was left arm around the neck, right arm with the knife toward the jugular.”

Quinn said he grabbed the man’s right arm and tried to pull it away, then noticed that the knife was actually pointed at Mortimer’s arm. “I let it go, and he stabbed himself. Nothing severe, but enough to draw blood.”

He said that in the ensuing struggle some of the blood got onto his own shirt collar. He decided against further resistance, he said, and the robber began tearing out security cameras and asking where the tape was.

Quinn said he told him that there was no tape, and showed him around his office.

Then the robber demanded the keys, so that he could lock the door, Quinn related.

“After a discussion about there being no tape, he said, ‘You already saw me.’ He demanded the shirt so there would be no DNA evidence. All the indications were there — cameras torn off the ceiling, ‘Give me the shirt,’ ‘You’ve seen my face,’ and ‘I’m locking the door.’ ”

Quinn said he handed over the shirt — “anything to appease him and get him away with the knife. I’m 56. He’s half my age, and much bigger. As he turned to lock the door, I zipped to the office, pulled my gun out, and you can just put expletive, expletive, expletive. Dirty Harry wouldn’t say anything snappy at that point.”

He said he ordered the robber to pull his sweatshirt over his head and get down on the floor.

“While he was doing that I grabbed the phone to call the police,” he said. “As I was talking to them he got up and started pleading that he had been laid off from his job, and needed rent money.”

Quinn said the robber snapped his folding knife shut, dropped Quinn’s shirt and ran out the door.

Quinn praised police officers for quickly capturing the suspect. “They got him in five minutes,” Quinn said.

Patrol Officer Michael Flood took Mortimer into custody after a struggle behind Kennedy Manor on Clinton Street.

The suspect was charged with armed robbery, assault on police officers, resisting arrest and obstruction of justice. He was ordered held pending a bail review hearing.

“First time in 13 years in business in Woonsocket,” Quinn remarked.

tmorgan@projo.com