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"Anyone Is Capable of Greatness"

That's what Gwinnett County Sheriff's Deputy Shannon Vokadov said about three inmates who rescued a fellow deputy this past summer.

Three men in orange prison uniforms pose proudly

While on duty at the county jail, Deputy Warren Hobbs had a heart attack and then fell and split his head open. Inmates could see what had happened from their cell windows and began banging on their doors, trying to rouse the deputy. Confused, Hobbs thought an inmate was in trouble and pressed a button to open some cell doors. Three inmates--Mitchell Smalls, Walter Whitehead, and Terry Loveless--rushed to his aid and used his radio to call for help. You can watch the rescue on the short video below.

Believe it or not, this wasn't a once-in-a-lifetime event. Just a month later, another group of prisoners rescued a different guard at the same county's jail.

A group of 6 men in green prison uniforms

When a group of six inmates realized that Deputy Patrick Edmond was having a stroke, they got him into a chair, used a phone and the deputy's radio to call for help, and banged on walls to alert a deputy in the neighboring unit.


Both deputies recovered and credit the inmates with saving their lives.


Anyone is capable of greatness.







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