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Pentagon gunman dies after shootout with police
By: cnn.comPosted On: 03/05/2010 11:35 A
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A man who was shot after calmly opening fire on two Pentagon police officers died early Friday, authorities said.
A man who was shot after calmly opening fire on two Pentagon police officers died early Friday, authorities said.
The gunman was John Patrick Bedell, a law enforcement source said. At a Friday morning news conference, Pentagon Police Chief Richard S. Keevill referred to him only as Bedell.
The 36-year-old man lived with his parents in Hollister, California, said Terry Sutherland, a Pentagon spokesman.
Bedell had "no real emotion in his face" as he approached the officers Thursday evening, Keevill said. He pulled a gun out of his pocket when asked for identification to enter the Pentagon, the chief said.
Keevill praised Officers Jeffrey Amos and Marvin Carraway for acting "quickly and decisively to neutralize him as a threat" without hurting anyone else.
The officers suffered non-life-threatening injuries -- one in the thigh and the other in the shoulder, the chief said.
Surveillance video shows the gunman acted alone, Keevill said.
"There are multiple angles showing the suspect in the time leading up to the shooting," he said. "We have Pentagon and Metro cameras of the area."
The officers were placed on administrative leave, which is routine in officer-involved shootings, Keevill added.
He applauded the officers for ensuring the gunman did not set foot in the nation's defense headquarters, where about 23,000 military and civilian employees work.
The officers took less than a minute to neutralize him, the chief said, adding that their action saved lives.
"The Fort Hood incident put us on notice that this can happen anywhere," he said, referring to the Texas shooting in November that left 13 people dead.
As part of its investigation, the FBI is checking everywhere the suspect has ever visited, Keevill said.
The investigation closed the Pentagon subway station on Friday, affecting the commute of thousands of Washington-area residents. Officials did not say when it would reopen.
"It's a complicated crime scene. There were a lot of bullets fired," Keevill said.
The Pentagon Police Department, Arlington County, Virginia, Police Department, U.S. Secret Service and FBI were all involved in the investigation, Keevill said.
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