Gwinnett County inmates gained international attention last month when they rushed to help a deputy suffering a cardiac arrest. Now they are at it again, saving the life of another deputy.
This time, Gwinnett County inmates in Lawrenceville noticed something seemed wrong with Deputy Patrick Edmond as he was doing a routine search in the unit he supervises.
According to a Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office Facebook post, the inmates, helped him to a chair and used his police radio, along with the housing unit phone, to summon for help. It turns out, that deputy was having a stroke.
Edmond was flown to Grady Hospital where he had surgery and is on the way to making a full recovery, thanks to their efforts.
In July, Deputy Warren Hobbs suffered a cardiac emergency when inmates came to his aid.
The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office says that inmates and deputies can have a unique relationship that many might not initially attribute to the mix.
“It would be very easy to assume there's always an adversarial relationship between law enforcement officers and citizens suspected of committing crimes. Sometimes there is, but many times there is not,” says the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office in a Facebook post on Tuesday. “These recent incidents reflect the respect most inmates have for our deputies because of how they're treated in our jail. They know we work hard to keep them safe and sometimes they get to return the favor. We appreciate them and thank them for their efforts.”
