By Fox23.com News Staff
LAWTON, Okla. — The Oklahoma Department of Corrections says an officer at the Chief James Smith Correctional Center in Lawton Thursday evening.
According to the report, the officer was checking on the welfare of an inmate when another inmate attacked him from behind. The attack happened in a housing area that is used to monitor inmates that have been showing signs of being under the influence of illegal drugs. The report says the inmate responsible for the assault did not want to stay in the housing area and thought that assaulting the officer would have resulted in him being transferred to another housing area.
ODOC says other inmates were involved in the coordination of the attack and that the inspector general is conducting an investigation of the incident.
“ODOC will continue to aggressively combat illegal drugs, contraband cell phones, and other threats to the safety and security of our facilities,” reads a statement put out by the ODOC. “Violence against correctional officers will not be tolerated, and every individual responsible for this attack will be held accountable.”
The officer sustained blunt force trauma injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment. He has since been released.
