A Pentagon police officer was killed in an attack outside of the Department of Defense headquarters in Washington on Tuesday. After stabbing the officer, the suspect was shot and killed at the scene by law enforcement, FoxNews reported.
The suspect was later identified by multiple law enforcement officials as Austin William Lanz, 27, of Georgia, FoxNews reported.
The police officer has not yet been identified. Pentagon Force Protection Agency Chief Woodrow Kusse held a press briefing, but provided limited information.
The Pentagon currently is on lock down due to an incident at the Pentagon Transit Center. We are asking the public to please avoid the area. More information will be forthcoming.
— Pentagon Force Protection Agency (@PFPAOfficial) August 3, 2021
A lockdown of the Pentagon went into effect after the incident, but they have since resumed normal operations.
"On behalf of everyone working at the Pentagon, and across the Department of Defense, I extend my deepest sympathies to the family, loved ones and colleagues of the Pentagon Force Protection Officer who died as a result of injuries he received this morning," Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement.
"This fallen officer died in the line of duty, helping protect the tens of thousands of people who work in – and who visit – the Pentagon on a daily basis," Austin said. "He and his fellow officers are members of the Pentagon family, and known to us all as professional, skilled and brave. This tragic death today is a stark reminder of the dangers they face and the sacrifices they make. We are forever grateful for that service and the courage with which it is rendered."
Austin ordered flags to be flown at half-mast at the Pentagon to honor the fallen officer.
A Pentagon police officer was involved in the shooting, according to a Department of Defense official. Multiple shots were fired, but investigators are still sorting out what happened and who fired.
Pentagon Chief Woodrow Kusse said that the Pentagon is "not actively looking" for another suspect at this time. "The scene is secure. And most importantly, there's no continuing threat to our community," Kusse said.
The FBI is leading the ongoing investigation.
This piece was written by Ray Dietrich on August 3, 2021. It originally appeared in ThinBlueLineTV.com and is used by permission.
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