This story just made my day.
Three Georgia prison inmates are being praised after saving the life of a deputy in the prison.
According to the report, the three inmates--Mitchell Smalls, Terry Lovelace, and Walter Whitehead--noticed that Deputy Warren Hobbs appeared to not be feeling well after conducting security checks. The deputy was lying back in a chair, and fell to the ground, where he hit his head and was bleeding heavily. The inmates started to pound on the doors to make noise, hoping to attract help. Before completely losing consciousness, Deputy Hobbs was able to push the button to open the inmates' cell, at which point the inmates rendered aid, and used the deputy's radio to call for medical help. Turns out, Deputy Hobbs had suffered a cardiac event.
The inmates spend roughly 12 hours a day with the same deputy, so it's common for them to form relationships.
The three inmates all say this wasn’t about an inmate helping a deputy. It was just one person helping another who was having a serious medical emergency.
"It scared me. I don’t care if it’s a police officer or whoever it was. I will do whatever I can to save a man. I don’t want anyone to die," Whitehead said.
Deputy Hobbs still under medical care but is at home. He said he’s thankful for the quick thinking of the three men.
"These inmates came to his aid because our deputy, like most law enforcement officers, treats people with the dignity they deserve. These inmates had no obligation whatsoever to render aid to a bleeding, vulnerable deputy, but they didn't hesitate," the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office said. "Many people have strong opinions about law enforcement officers and criminals, but this incident clearly illustrates the potential goodness found in both."
On a personal note, I hope that the state of Georgia is willing to look at these three men and possibly consider either reducing or commuting their sentences. I wasn't able to find information on exactly why they are incarcerated, but I personally feel that sometimes people make bad choices that get them into trouble, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're bad people. Who among us hasn't done something we regret? These three men have demonstrated that they're possibly ready to resume their lives in the outside world, and I hope they're given the opportunity and the tools to do so.
Photo: Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office