FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — A police officer has died as a result of cancer caused by service at the Pentagon after the 9/11 terror attacks, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.
Master Police Officer Don Gotthardt died on Oct. 16, 2025, according to the page. He had served the Fairfax County Police Department for 25 years and had served in law enforcement for 34.
He served at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, before being assigned to the search and recovery efforts in the days following.
He is survived by his wife, two stepchildren and a grandson.
Trending
Adrian Gonzalez was found not guilty of child endangerment for his actions during the 2022 mass shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers
Holyoke Councilor Israel Rivera told officers, “You know who the (expletive) I am? I’m not a regular (racial slur),” and later, “I’m the one that makes your (expletive) budget (racial slur).”
Tune in for a video recap of our readers’ most viewed news articles
“For too long, officers in Paterson were asked to do their jobs without the modern tools routinely used by other major cities. That has changed,” New Jersey A.G. Matthew Platkin said
