Who is Officer George Gonzalez and what was his cause of death?
AUTHORITIES have identified the police officer killed in a shooting at a bus platform outside the Pentagon on August 3.
Pentagon officials have identified the slain officer as George Gonzalez.
Who is Officer George Gonzalez?
Gonzalez, a Brooklyn native, joined the Pentagon Force Protection Agency in 2018.
The Pentagon Force Protection Agency described the Brooklyn native as a “die-hard Yankees fan.”
He was a graduate of New York City’s Canarsie High School.
Accoridng to officials, Gonzalez was promoted twice and attained the rank of senior officer in 2020.
The force said he took our mission of “protecting those who protect our nation” to heart.
Officials said Gonzalez was a military and police veteran who previously with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Transportation Security Administration, and the United States Army.
The East Coast native was the recipient of a commendation medal for his service in Iraq.
What was his cause of death?
On August 3, the Pentagon was placed on lockdown after a shooter allegedly opened fire at a transit stop near the government facility.
Gonzalez was allegedly stabbed to death by Austin William Lanz – a male suspect accused of attacking a cop in Georgia.
The Associated Press reported that William Lanz, 27, died at the scene after getting shot by law enforcement.
Two law enforcement officers also told ABC News that Lanz had disarmed the officer after stabbing him and shot him with his own gun.
The attack prompted responding officers to fatally shoot Lanz, but it is unknown suspect shot himself or was killed by responding officers.
And an investigation is ongoing to determine a motive for the attack.
Who is the alleged suspect Austin William Lanz?
Lanz reportedly enlisted in the US Marine Corps in 2012 and was “administratively separated” just a month later.
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The 27-year-old was arrested in April in Cobb County, Georgia, on criminal trespassing and burglary charges, according to online court records obtained by AP.
The records also show a separate criminal case was filed against Lanz on the same day as his arrest with six additional charges, including two counts of aggravated battery on police, a count of making a terrorist threat, and a charge for rioting in a penal institution.
A judge reduced Lanz’s bond, and he was released – under the conditions that he refrains from illegal drugs and gets a mental health evaluation, the records reportedly reveal.