In light of recent tragedies around the country, it’s a refreshing break to hear about someone helping out their fellow man. On June 23, a Parker County, Texas  jailer was apparently experiencing a heart attack when several inmates rushed to his side to offer their assistance.


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“He just fell over,” said inmate Nick Kelton. “Looked like an act. Could have died right there.”

Kelton and other inmates began shouting for help, but no one came to his aid. Despite the obvious risks, they managed to bust out of their holding room to help the man. The guard had no pulse. The inmates raised such a ruckus, deputies rushed to the scene.

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“They thought it was a fight,” said inmate Floyd Smith. “They thought we were taking over.”

Parker County Sheriff’s Sgt. Ryan Speegle said he didn’t know what to expect when he got downstairs.

“He had keys,” Speegle said. “Had a gun. It could have been an extremely bad situation.”

Speegle rushed in first to see inmates in their gray and white stripes handcuffed and shackled standing over the unresponsive guard. One prisoner reached for the radio, which was near the gun. Sgt. Speegle corralled the inmates, still not completely understanding what was happening, back into the cell. Deputies started CPR, and the paramedics arrived and used a defibrillator on the guard, who quickly regained a pulse.

“I watched him die twice,” Kelton said. “It never crossed my mind not to help whether he’s got a gun or a badge. If he falls down, I’m gonna help him.”