Deputy With Heart Trouble Back At Work After Inmate Rescue

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — After recovering from a cardiac problem that left him unconscious while at work in the Gwinnett County Jail, a deputy is back on the job and thanked three inmates who helped save his life.

The deputy, Warren Hobbs, looked like he was sleeping on duty at the jail in Lawrenceville when he fell out of his chair, split his head open and started bleeding. On Friday the sheriff's department Facebook page showed a photo of Hobbs with the inmates on his return to work.

Hobbs "quickly sought out the inmates who came to his rescue when he suffered a medical emergency a few weeks ago so he could thank them in person. We’re glad to welcome him back," the agency posted.

When Hobbs collapsed, inmate Mitchell Smalls knew what he had to do.

"I started hollering and screaming and banging on the door to try to alert everybody to wake up," Smalls later said to later said to WAGA-TV in Atlanta.

Soon, about 60 inmates joined in, making as much noise as possible to alert other deputies.
The racket was enough to revive Hobbs somewhat. Another inmate, Terry Lovelace, said he could see Hobbs struggling to get back up.

"It was sad because it didn't look good at all, but the man had fight in him to get up," Lovelace said to WAGA-TV. "As he came up, I can make eye contact with him. I'm like, Deputy Hobbs, Deputy Hobbs, please."

Hobbs then hit a button that released Lovelace and another inmate, Walter Whitehead, both of whom raced to Hobbs' side.

Whitehead called for help on the phone, while Lovelace used Hobbs' two-way radio. Other deputies arrived seconds later to help.

Hobbs later said he didn't realize he'd been unconscious. All he remembered, according to a spokesperson for the Gwinnett County Sheriff's office, was "what sounded like pounding drums" and "inmates shouting his name over and over."

The three inmates told WAGA-TV they just did what they thought was right.

"I don't care if it's a police officer or whoever it was," Whitehead said to the Atlanta TV station. "I will do whatever I can to save a man. I don't want anyone to die."

"These inmates had no obligation whatsoever to render aid to a bleeding, vulnerable deputy, but they didn't hesitate," the sheriff's office posted last month to its Facebook page. "Many people have strong opinions about law enforcement officers and criminals, but this incident clearly illustrates the potential goodness found in both."

Related: Inmates In Georgia Jail Save Life Of Deputy With Heart Trouble