PUBLISHED ONJune 21, 2017 8:47 AMBySamantha Scelzo
Six inmates saw a man in need, not an opportunity to flee, when they saved an officer on duty after he collapsed during a work detail shift.
According to TIME, the inmates were cutting grass at a cemetery near the prison in Polk County, Georgia, when the deputy sheriff fell face-first onto the ground.
Instead of escaping the scene with the sheriff's gun and van, all six prisoners rushed to his aid.
They immediately called 911 on the officer's phone and pulled off his vest to try to keep him cool until help arrived.
The officer had apparently collapsed due to the humidity and a medical condition.
"They could have done anything they wanted," Polk County Sheriff Johnny Moats said.
"They were out there by themselves with this one officer. If they would have left him there, it could have been hours before anyone came across him."
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At that moment, it wasn't about who was wearing stripes or a badge - it was about saving a man's life.
"They stayed right there with him," Moats continued.
"If he didn't have any help, I don't know what would have happened to him. The inmates did a really good job. I'm extremely proud of them."
One of the inmates, Greg Williams, told a local TV station in an interview that the group knew they had to do the right thing.
He said, "When that happened, in my opinion, it wasn't about who is in jail and who wasn't. It was about a man going down, and we had to help him."
The inmates, who are all jailed for minor criminal offences, were rewarded with desserts and pizza in the park for a job well done, and thankfully, the deputy sheriff has since recovered and returned back to work.
Read the full article here.