Inmates Save Deputy Officer

A Deputy Officer in Gwinnett County, GA was going through his daily routine at work when things took a turn for the worse. Deputy Warren Hobbs sat down at his desk and lost consciousness, fell to the floor, and began bleeding from his head.

A trio of inmates, Mitchell Smalls, Terry Lovelace, and Walter Whitehead were locked up and unable to do anything in the moment. They responded by doing the only thing they could – making noise. In fact, the 60 unit block made such a commotion as they pounded on their cells and called out the deputy’s name that it briefly woke him up.

Thinking that one of the inmates was in trouble, Deputy Hobbs used what little energy he had available to pull himself up and hit a button opening the cell doors.

The three men didn’t hesitate for a moment to rush to the deputy’s aid. Some may have wondered why they didn’t take the opportunity to escape. But seeing a man in need and not wanting him to die, the inmates quickly called for help using the deputy’s phone and radio.

Fortunately, help arrived right away and Deputy Hobbs was rushed to a local hospital where he was treated for a cardiac event. He survived the ordeal and is understandably grateful.

Despite three being behind bars and one being an officer, the four men spend a lot of time together and have developed a rapport. Thus when Deputy Hobbs was in need, the inmates didn’t see an opportunity to run, they saw an opportunity to save a life.