Officer Dead, Suspect Killed After Incident Outside Pentagon
A police officer died after being stabbed Tuesday during an incident at a transit station outside the Pentagon. The suspect in the stabbing was shot by law enforcement and died at the scene, officials said.
The building was temporarily placed on lockdown after gunshots were fired Tuesday morning near the entrance of the building.
More details about the incident are expected at a Pentagon news conference scheduled for later today.
The incident occurred on a Metro bus platform that is part of the Pentagon Transit Center and just steps from the Pentagon, according to the Pentagon Force Protection Agency.
The facility is just steps from the Pentagon building, which is in Arlington County, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.
The authorities have yet to provide details about the incident, but witnesses told local news media that they heard multiple gunshots and then an announcement that the facility was on lockdown due to police activity.
The lockdown was lifted at about noon, except for the area immediately adjacent to the crime scene.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were at the White House meeting with President Joe Biden, at the time of the shooting.
The incident at the Pentagon occurred a day after Capitol Police seized two loaded guns near the U.S. Capitol.
According to a report from the agency, a man approached two Capitol Police officers at First Street and East Capitol Street, SE to ask for directions at about 12:50 p.m. Monday.
One of the officers spotted a black firearm handle sticking out of the front pocket of the man’s shorts. The man, identified as Titus Hayes, of Richmond, Virginia, was placed under arrest for carrying a pistol without a license in the District of Columbia.
The gun later turned out to be a 9mm pistol with a high capacity magazine.
While in custody, Hayes stated he and his wife, Nicole Carter, had a second gun in their SUV along East Capitol Street, SE.
Another 9mm handgun was found in the glove box.
Neither individual has a previous record with the department, and there is no information to indicate either suspect was targeting a member of Congress or the Capitol Complex, the agency said.
“So far this year, the United States Capitol Police has confiscated 13 guns near the Capitol,” said Police Chief Tom Manger. “It was the officer’s keen observation and attention to detail that removed two more illegal guns from our community.”
Hayes was charged with Carrying a Pistol without a License, Unregistered Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Ammunition, and Possession of a Large Capacity Feeding Device.
Carter was charged with Carrying a Pistol without a License, Unregistered Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Ammunition, and Unlawful Transportation of a Firearm.
