Police Officer George Gonzalez

Officer: US DoD - Pentagon Force Protection Agency, Police Officer George Gonzalez

Date: 8/3/2021            Location: Arlington, VA         FACTORS (1,2,4,5,7,12,14)

Perpetrator(s) Involved: Austin William Lanz

Criminal Activity History/Involved: Yes, Lanz has prior arrests for criminal trespassing, burglary, aggravated battery on police, making a terrorist threat, and rioting in a penal institution./Yes, without provocation, Lanz attacked Officer Gonzalez.

Mental Illness: Yes, Lanz’s had a history of mental illness including making statements akin to paranoia, being “administratively separated” from Marine boot camp, and being ordered by a judge during a previous criminal trial to undergo a mental health evaluation.

Substance Abuse History/Involved: Yes, Lanz had previously been ordered by a judge to not take illegal drugs./Unknown.

Race/Sex/Age: White/Male/27

What prompted the initial contact with the killer? At approximately 10:40 a.m. on August 3, 2021, Officer George Gonzalez was on foot patrol at the Pentagon Transit Center.

Actions taken by subject toward police: As soon as the bus Austin Lanz was on pulled into the Pentagon Transit Center, Lanz disembarked and ambushed Officer Gonzalez with a knife. After stabbing Officer Gonzalez in the neck and mortally wounding him, Lanz took possession of his duty weapon.

Reactions by the police: Other officers responded to the scene and confronted Lanz who ended up taking his own life with Officer Gonzalez’s duty gun.

How murdered? Officer Gonzalez was ambushed by an emotionally disturbed man with a knife while on patrol at the Pentagon bus station.

What could have been done differently for the officer to still be alive? Unless an officer has his/her head on a swivel their entire shift, it is very difficult to protect against the rare event a violent criminal ambushes them in such a public place.

Would the officer have been justified to use deadly force before being murdered? Had Officer Gonzalez seen Lanz aggressively approaching him with a weapon in his hand he would have certainly been justified to use deadly force.

Outcome for the cop-killer: Lanz took his own life when confronted by other officers at the scene.