Pentagon police attack suspect faced ‘many mental health challenges’, family says

The man who fatally attacked a Pentagon police officer had spent months ‘overcome’ by mental health crises

The man who fatally attacked a Pentagon police officer last week before taking his own life was suffering from “many mental health challenges”, his family has said in a statement.

Austin Lanz, 27, on Tuesday morning got off a bus at the Pentagon Transit Center in Arlington, Virginia, then “immediately, without provocation, attacked ... Officer George Gonzalez with a knife, severely wounding him. A struggle ensued, in which the subject mortally wounded Officer Gonzalez and then shot himself with the officer’s service weapon,” the FBI Washington Field Office tweeted the following day.

Mr Lanz, who died at the scene, had been struggling for months, his family said in a statement to CNN.

“We are devastated by the loss of our son, Austin, and of Officer George Gonzalez,” they said. “We want Officer Gonzalez’s family and friends to know that we are so sorry and heartbroken for them. We will forever be thankful for his service and dedication to the safety and well-being of our country.

“The last few months of Austin’s life were overcome with many mental health challenges. Unfortunately, despite the time spent in the criminal justice system with their special requirements, his hospital stays and numerous professional mental health evaluations, Austin did not receive any official diagnosis, therefore, he was unable to sufficiently deal with his mental health nor get the help he so desperately needed.”

The statement continued: “While we sit in great disbelief over the events that occurred and continue to mourn for lives lost, we are hopeful that this tragedy can help bring greater awareness and change to the growing mental health crisis in our country.”

The family appealed for privacy, but a lawyer representing them told CNN that Mr Lanz, who briefly served in the US Marines, had received mental health evaluations in both DC and Georgia, where he most recently lived.

According to interviews and records obtained by The Associated Press, Mr Lanz had been arrested last April for breaking into a neighbor’s home and drew police attention months earlier for a harassment campaign involving sexually explicit photos and messages.

“I wish there was a better way to address those mental health issues that people have,” Philip Brent, who shared a backyard fence with Mr Lanz in Georgia, told the AP – adding that Mr Lanz had repeatedly harassed him.

“It feels like it was just a clear failure of our system to help someone out who needed that help.”

Officer Gonzalez, 37, was described by Pentagon police officials as a “die-hard” New York Yankees fan and an Army veteran who served in Iraq and joined the force in 2018. Flags at the Pentagon were flown at half-staff in his honour.