A PENTAGON police officer was allegedly stabbed to death amid a blaze of gunfire outside a transit center just steps away from the US military headquarters.

The suspect was shot by police and died at the scene on Tuesday morning.

Who is Austin William Lanz?

Austin William Lanz, 27, is the suspect accused of fatally stabbing a Pentagon police officer on Tuesday, August 3, 2021.

Lanz, of Acworth, Georgia, was shot dead by cops after an exchange of gunfire just meters away from the Pentagon building, forcing it into lockdown.

He was reportedly arrested in April this year, according to court docs, and was charged with criminal trespass and burglary in Cobb County, Georgia.

On the same day, a separate set of charges was also filed against Lanz, including two counts of aggravated battery on police, a count of making a terrorist threat, and a charge for rioting in a penal institution.

His bail amount was reduced by a judge to $30,000 in May with conditions that ordered a mental health evaluation and prohibited the use of illegal drugs. The case was still pending when Lanz died.

Law enforcement officials told Fox 5 DC Lanz may have boarded a train and could have possibly been on his way to Maryland.

Lanz had enlisted in the U.S Marine Corps in October 2012, but they said he "was administratively separated less than a month later and never earned the title Marine," according to the Associated Press.

The FBI is now leading the investigation into the incident to determine a motive for the attack.

What happened outside the Pentagon?

Lanz allegedly "ambushed" the Pentagon police officer just meters away from the Pentagon on the Metrobus platform at around 10:30am.

The unidentified cop was stabbed in the neck, two law enforcement officials told AP.

They also alleged that Lanz had disarmed the officer after stabbing him and shot the officer with his own gun.

Responding officers then shot and killed Lanz at the scene.

The incident resulted in "several casualties," chief of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, Wooodroow Kusse, said.

Officials said they believe two bystanders were also injured and Pentagon police were seen performing CPR on two individuals who were reportedly shot.

Other reports also suggested that two other officers were injured and were transported for medical attention.

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