Guarding a convict work detail isn’t without its risks, and could potentially turn into an extremely hazardous situation should something out of the ordinary occur. Many prisoners wouldn’t think twice about trying to break free if the opportunity arose, or attempt to seriously injure whichever officer was on duty at the time. And while we’ve all heard stories of such incidents taking place, it’s nice to have something a little different happen for a change.
It was a hot and humid Friday afternoon in a Polk County cemetery where a group of inmates was on their weekly work detail, getting the grounds ready for Father’s Day. The six-strong group was busy cutting the grass and tidying the graves when the officer assigned to watch over them began to feel unwell. He managed to alert the prisoners just before he collapsed in front of them.
Ordinarily, you might think that this was a golden opportunity to escape, with the officer’s, gun, phone, keys, and access to transport all within easy reach as he lay unconscious on the ground. But whereas these prisoners might have made mistakes in the past – they were certain to not make them here and they all chipped in to do the right thing.
As the officer wasn’t breathing, the convicts leaped into action to save him – including removing his gun belt and shirt should CPR be required. One inmate immediately went to look for help, while another accessed the officer’s mobile phone in order to alert the emergency services. They worked as a team so they might stand a chance of saving the officers life.
It’s amazing to think that not one of the six prisoners so much as thought about stealing the officer’s weapon and keys to his vehicle, as they had one concern on their minds – helping the man that had collapsed, regardless that he wore a badge – and they were wearing stripes.
Thankfully, the officer made a full recovery but was reassigned elsewhere as the temperature was just too hot. Although these guys had the best possible reaction – it might not happen again should there be a similar incident. But congratulations are in order for these men who didn’t hesitate in doing the right thing – and let’s hope they continue to make similar choices in future. Don’t miss this story in the video below and you can reaffirm your faith in humanity.
