US defense secretary mourns officer killed outside Pentagon

By Michael Hernandez and Andy Roesgen

CHICAGO, US (AA) - US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered flags at the Pentagon lowered to half-mast Tuesday after a stabbing and shooting that left a police officer and the assailant dead.

The circumstances behind the incident and the names of those involved have not yet been laid out, but it triggered a lockdown at the Pentagon complex.

Pentagon Police Chief Woody Kusse said the incident started around 10:30 a.m. when an assailant stabbed an officer with the Pentagon Force Protection Agency in the neck at the Metro train station entrance to the Pentagon. The officer then fired at the suspect.

The officer later died and the suspect was also killed, but it is not clear if that death came from the officer's shooting or shots fired from another officer.

"I extend my deepest sympathies to the family, loved ones and colleagues," said Secretary Austin in a statement.

"This fallen officer died in the line of duty helping protect the tens of thousands of people who work in -- and who visit -- the Pentagon on a daily basis."

The Pentagon Transit Center is a major transportation hub near the Pentagon and is used by multiple bus lines and includes a metro train stop.

"This tragic death today is a stark reminder of the dangers they face and the sacrifices they make," Austin added. "We are forever grateful for that service and the courage with which it is rendered."

Austin reiterated that the investigation is ongoing to figure out the details of the incident.