An Oregon corrections officer was killed by a man after he stopped to help a stranded motorist late Monday night, according to The Oregonian.
Corrections Officer Buddy R. Herron, 42, attempted to help the motorist on Oregon 11 while he was en route to his shift at the Eastern Oregon Correctional Institute when he was assaulted around midnight.
Joshua Charles Weeks, 22, is in police custody and is suspected in the slaying. Officials told the newspaper that he has a long criminal history.
Oregon Department of Corrections spokesman Jennifer Black told the newspaper that the circumstances surrounding Herron's death remain unclear.
The Umatilla County dispatch center received a call reporting a person lying in the highway and after responding, police found Herron.
He later died at St. Anthony's Hospital in Pendleton.
"It's really very upsetting," Black said, adding that he "was just trying to be a good Samaritan."
Umatilla County Sheriff John Trumbo said local law enforcement and corrections officers were shaken by the death.
"It's a brother in arms who tried to do what we do -- stop and help someone," he said. "We're all very upset."
Herring is survived by his wife, Kimberly and their four children.
