Pentagon policeman stabbed to death, assailant shot dead

A police officer died Tuesday after being stabbed multiple times in the neck outside the Pentagon, officials familiar with the incident told NBC News.

The officer opened fire on the assailant after the attack began outside the entrance to the Pentagon subway, according to NBC News. The assailant was shot by police, but it is not yet clear which officer killed the assailant.

“I am incredibly saddened to learn of the death of a Pentagon police officer, who was killed earlier this morning in a senseless act of violence outside the Pentagon,” Senator Mark posted Tuesday afternoon. Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, on Twitter.

“My heart goes out to the officer’s family and friends, as well as the entire Pentagon police force,” said Warner, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee.

The Pentagon was locked out Tuesday morning after several shots were fired near the building, but reopened after more than an hour.

The exact details and sequence of events remain obscure. Woodrow Kusse, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency’s chief of police, told a news conference that “several injuries resulted from the incident,” but did not confirm the death of the officer.

However, Fairfax County Police also expressed condolences for the death of a Pentagon officer.

Kusse said authorities were not actively looking for another suspect: “The incident is over, the scene is secure and, more importantly, there is no continuing threat to our community,” he said. declared.

The FBI is investigating the incident as the underlying motives are still unknown.

“At this time, it would be premature to speculate on mobile, and in order to protect the integrity of the investigation, we cannot provide further details at this time,” the FBI Washington field office said in a statement. communicated. “There is no permanent threat to the public.”

The incident happened at a subway bus platform that is part of the Pentagon Transit Center, just steps from the Pentagon building in Arlington County, Virginia.

“The Pentagon metro station is probably one of the busiest in the transportation system, it’s a hub for commuters as well as building occupants,” Kusse said at the press conference.

As the lockdown was lifted, the Pentagon’s Force Protection Agency tweeted that the public should stay away from the entrance to the subway and the bus platform as it is “still a matter of fact.” ‘an active crime scene’.

Transportation to the Pentagon is now being diverted to Pentagon City, the agency added.

At the time of the shooting, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were in the White House for a meeting with President Joe Biden.

The last time a major incident occurred at the Pentagon Metro Center was in 2010, according to Kusse.

An armed man opened fire at the entrance to the Pentagon and injured two officers from the Pentagon’s Force Protection Agency in March 2010. The officers, who survived, shot the man shortly after.