Pentagon identifies police officer killed in attack outside Pentagon metro station

According to a release from the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, Gonzalez was from Brooklyn, New York. He joined the Pentagon Force Protection Agency as a police officer in July 2018. As a Pentagon police officer, he was "promoted twice and attained the rank of Senior Officer in 2020," the release stated. "He was well-liked and respected by his fellow officers," the release added.

Before becoming a Pentagon police officer, Gonzalez worked in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Transportation Security Administration and the United States Army. "He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for his service in Iraq," according to the release.

"Officer Gonzalez embodied our values of integrity and service to others," the release stated.

The exact circumstances of the incident that led to Gonzalez' death are still unclear and Pentagon officials offered little clarity during a press briefing Tuesday afternoon. Speaking to reporters, Pentagon Force Protection Agency Chief Woodrow Kusse repeatedly declined to provide substantive details about what occurred.

A defense official familiar with the initial reports said the officer was stabbed by an assailant and other officers responded rapidly and shot the suspect.

Kusse told reporters during the briefing that an officer was attacked on a bus platform outside the building. "Gunfire was exchanged and there were several casualties," he said.

This story is breaking and will be updated.

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