Report: Former Md. Atty. Gen. Curran Tries To Thwart Robbery

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A trip to the dry cleaners last month took an unexpected turn for former Maryland Attorney General Joe Curran when he tried to thwart a robbery.

Curran, 85, had picked up his shirts and was heading out the door July 11 when he overheard someone asking the female clerk about pricing, according to a report from WUSA 9.

That's when it dawned on the former attorney general that he had forgotten his walking cane near the cash register, the report said. But when he turned around to get it, he was stunned to find the man attacking the clerk.

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"When I walked back in, I noticed the man who had inquired about pricing was now standing behind the counter and had the female clerk in a chokehold," Curran recalled, according to WUSA.

The assailant, he reported, was repeatedly punching the clerk while raiding the cash register.

That's when Curran, who is father-in-law to former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, jumped into action, according to the report. First, he yelled outside to alert bystanders to the robbery in progress. Then he shut the door and tried to bar the suspect from leaving.

"The robber, who probably outweighed me by 40 pounds, was pushing the door against me trying to get out," Curran told WUSA. "He succeeded and ran out of the store. I tried to trip him with my cane, but I couldn't quite reach him."

Passersby were able to take pictures of the suspect and the vehicle he escaped in. It's not yet clear whether police have him in custody.

The clerk, who was reportedly checked out at the hospital, is expected to recover.