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POLK CO., Ga. — A group of Georgia inmates had a clear path to freedom when the deputy assigned to supervise them passed out during an outdoor work detail. Instead, they banded together to help save his life.
The six Polk County inmates were cutting grass at a cemetery in 100 percent humidity last week when the deputy in charge passed out and fell to the ground, according to the New York Post. The deputy was the only officer on duty, paving the way for a fairly simple escape.
“They could have taken the gun, got the work van and gone,” Polk County Sheriff Johnny Moats told TIME. “They could have done anything they wanted. ... If they would have left him there, it could have been hours before anyone came across him.”
But that’s not what happened. Not even close.
The inmates quickly sprung into action — pulling the bullet-proof vest from the deputy’s chest so they could start CPR and cool him down, according to WXIA-TV. One of the inmates called 911 using the deputy’s phone.
The men were able to resuscitate the deputy after he’d been unconscious for a few minutes, but he was still in bad shape.
“When he started breathing, it was just real heavy and real fast,” Greg Williams — one of the inmates — told WXIA.
The inmates remained by the deputy’s side until paramedics arrived.
“They stayed right there with him,” Moats told TIME. “If he didn’t have any help, I don’t know what would have happened to him.”
The deputy recovered quickly and has already returned to work, WXIA reported. Along with the accolades the inmates have received from the community and the sheriff’s office, they enjoyed a special pizza lunch in the park, complete with homemade cupcakes for dessert.
They really stepped up in a time of crisis and show that they care about my officers.
–Johnny Moats, Polk County sheriff
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office shared pictures of the party on its Facebook page.
"They really stepped up in a time of crisis and show that they care about my officers," Moats told WXIA. "That really speaks a lot about my officers too, how they treat these inmates. They treat them like people. Like family."
Williams told WXIA he and his fellow inmates just did what they knew they needed to do.
“It wasn’t about who is in jail and who wasn’t,” he said. “It was about a man going down, and we had to help him.”
All six inmates are serving time for minor criminal offenses, according to the New York Post.
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