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#George Gonzalez, NYC-born cop killed at Pentagon, laid to rest

#George Gonzalez, NYC-born cop killed at Pentagon, laid to rest

A Brooklyn-born Pentagon cop who was stabbed to death while on duty in DC was hailed as a “warrior” and a hero at his funeral Monday.

George Gonzalez, 37 — whose brother is an NYPD officer — was on patrol Aug. 3 at a transit hub outside the Pentagon when he was killed in the unprovoked attack, cops said.

“He fought ’til the end,” his NYPD sibling, Rodney Rubert, said during funeral services at St. Barbara Roman Catholic Church in Bushwick.

“He was a warrior,” Rubert said. “George lived the life he wanted to live.”

Hundreds gathered for the service, which included a police motorcycle escort and a playing of “Amazing Grace” by the NYPD Emerald Society bagpipers as Gonzalez’s flag-draped coffin was carried into the Brooklyn church for the funeral.

“Jesus says there is no greater sacrifice than to give your life to others,” the Rev. Joseph Hoffman, the church’s pastor, said during the service. “He died serving others. He died risking his life for your safety.”

People mourn at George Gonzalez's funeral on Aug. 16, 2021.
People mourn at George Gonzalez’s funeral on Aug. 16, 2021.
Paul Martinka

Authorities said Gonzalez was attacked and stabbed in the neck by 27-year-old Austin William Lanz, a troubled former US Marine from Georgia, shortly after 10:30 a.m.

Mortally wounded, Gonzalez struggled with Lanz, who took the officer’s gun and shot himself in the head, according to a report by The Hill.

Police have not determined a motive for the attack.

Austin Williams Lanz was accused of killing Officer George Gonzalez.
Austin Williams Lanz was accused of killing Officer George Gonzalez.
Cobb County Sheriff’s Office via AP

Gonzalez was a graduate of Canarsie High School and went on to serve in the US Army in Iraq. He later joined the Federal Bureau of Prisons before landing a job on the Pentagon police force in 2018.

At Monday’s funeral, his brother said he and Gonzalez lost their father earlier this year.

Rubert, who also served in Iraq, remembered his brother as a well-liked and fun-loving man who was committed to service.

Officers carry George Gonzalez's casket during the funeral.
Officers carry George Gonzalez’s casket during the funeral.
Paul Martinka
Officials salute during George Gonzalez's funeral.
Officials salute during George Gonzalez’s funeral.
Paul Martinka

He said Gonzalez loved chicken, drinking Corona beer and playing dodgeball and had a wide circle of friends.

He added that his brother was a quiet leader.

“He went to war without telling his mom and dad,” Rubert said.

Gonzalez was being buried at Linden Hill Cemetery in Ridgewood, Queens.

Officer George Gonzalez was stabbed to death on duty.
Officer George Gonzalez was stabbed to death on duty.Pentagon Force Protection Agency via AP

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