A correctional officer at a private prison was fatally attacked from behind by an inmate over the weekend. 

Alan Hershberger, a Missouri native, moved from Kansas to Holdenville in January to work at the David Correctional Facility. A former coworker, William Rogers, said he remembers Hershberger as a hard worker who did undesirable work for the public’s benefit. 

“It's just terrible. It's gut-wrenching,” Rogers said. “It’s that moment you can't really speak.” 

The Oklahoma Department of Corrections said the attacker was Gregory Thompson. Thompson was convicted in 2003 of first-degree murder and in 2009 of manslaughter involving an inmate. 

Hershberger was “attacked from behind” by Thompson, according to ODOC, who was using a “homemade weapon. 

An ODOC spokesperson declined to comment further because of the ongoing investigation, the results of which will be referred to the Hughes County District Attorney. 

“Davis Correctional Facility staff responded quickly and valiantly after the attack, attempting life-saving measures while securing the area to ensure the safety of staff and other inmates,” the ODOC said in a statement. “The agency mourns the loss of Officer Hershberger and expresses our deepest condolences to his family and friends.” 

The private facility is operated by the company CoreCivic, and is contracted to the state until June 2023. 

A spokesperson for CoreCivic said Hershberger was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, the Army National Guard, and Army Reserves. 

“We are also working with Officer Hershberger's family to provide as much help with his final arrangements as they need,” the CoreCivic spokesperson said. 

“What I ask is that you don't look at him as just a contract employee and that you look at him as an officer,” Rogers said.