Inmates watched their deputy behaving strangely—minutes later, they found a way out of their cells to save his life

'We didn't do anything for Deputy Hobbs that he would not have done for us,' said one of the inmates.

UPDATED DEC 21, 2024

(L)Criminals locked in prison looking out. (Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels| Photo by RDNE Stock Project), (R) Police officer taking rounds. (Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels| Photo by Kindel Media)

When someone is in need, it is one's primary duty to reach out to help them. A prime example of this was shared by the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office which also expressed their heartfelt thanks to three inmates, Mitchell Smalls, Walter Whitehead and Terry Loveless, for coming into action and saving the life of an officer on duty, Deputy Hobbs. The video captured the footage where the officer lost consciousness and collapsed, as per USA Today. The inmates found a way out of their cells and did their level best to savehis life.

Prisoner observant about surrounding outside cell. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by Ron Lach)

The cop had made his rounds in the unit among the inmates as usual and went over to sit in his chair. However, the inmates figured something was not right. A few observations they made which they shared with the department included heavy breathing and unusual movements. “Their biggest indicator is they said he took off his hat. Deputy Hobbs always wears a hat,” an officer recalled. “Although they were locked in their cells, they kept an eye on him as he returned to his seat at the deputy desk,” the post explained. They then saw Officer Hobbs fanning himself with his hat and gradually getting more and more uncomfortable.

Inmate speaking to police officer. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by RDNE Stock Project)

One of the inmates, Smalls, was in the downstairs cell and had a direct view of the officer. Shortly after sitting in his chair, Hobbs “fell onto the concrete floor, splitting his head open.” As soon as the inmate saw what happened, he immediately began pounding on his door to create some sort of alarm. Soon, several other prisoners were pounding on their doors to try and notify others to make a rescue. Eventually, the entire unit was banging on their doors and repeatedly calling out to the unconscious officer. Hobbs recalled being unaware about what happened but it was only the loud calling that helped him remain semi-conscious. After making eye contact with the inmates, he opened up the cells and 3 of the men rushed in to help him.

Criminal locked in cell looking outside. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by RDNE Stock Project)

Within seconds, Hobbs lost his consciousness again. Luckily, he had let out the inmates who were with him and helped him out. Using the dispatcher, they quickly called for help. They requested medical assistance and explained that Hobbs had a “head injury.” Speaking to the men, they were glad to be of assistance. Smalls remarked, “I have great respect for law enforcement and the job that they do. So, for me, I had to save the guy, I couldn't just watch the man die.” Whitehead added, “The guard's very respectful. He comes into the unit every night and he respects every guy in here and every guy respects him back.”

The department appreciates how the men came through. “These inmates had no obligation whatsoever to render aid to a bleeding, vulnerable deputy but they didn't hesitate.” Loveless noted, “We didn't do anything for Deputy Hobbs that he would not have done for us and there's not a doubt in my mind that he's a wonderful man and a good officer. We're thankful for him and we can't wait for him to get back to work.”