Arkansas Online

Violence near Pentagon kills 2 people

WASHINGTON — A Pentagon police officer died after being stabbed Tuesday during a burst of violence at a transit center outside the building, and a suspect was shot by law enforcement and died at the scene, officials said.

The Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. military, was temporarily placed on lockdown after someone attacked the officer on a bus platform shortly after 10:30 a.m. The ensuing violence, which included a volley of gunshots, resulted in “several casualties,” said Woodrow Kusse, the chief of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, which is responsible for security in the facility.

Later Tuesday, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency issued a statement confirming the death of the officer, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed his condolences and said flags at the Pentagon will be flown at half-staff.

The circumstances remained unclear hours after the violence ended. At a Pentagon news conference, Kusse declined to confirm that the officer had been killed or provide even basic information about the shooting or how many might be dead. Calling it an “ongoing investigation,” he would say only that an officer had been attacked and that “gunfire was exchanged.”

An Associated Press reporter near the building heard multiple gunshots, then a pause, then at least one additional shot. Another AP journalist heard police yelling “shooter.”

The lockdown was lifted after noon, except for the area around the crime scene.

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2021-08-04T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-08-04T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://edition.arkansasonline.com/article/281663963056783

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