Six Polk County, Georgia, inmates on a cemetery work detail stayed and helped their supervising deputy after he collapsed—actions that Sheriff Johnny Moats said would earn them sentence reductions of approximately 25%. The incident was originally reported in June 2017, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and NBC News.
Deputy collapses on work detail
The sheriff’s office said the deputy, whose name was not released, had worked with the six-man crew for months. He later said he’d had coughing spells, felt overheated, struggled to keep pace, and then collapsed.
Inmates stayed, called 911, tried to cool him
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the inmates stayed with the deputy, removed his outer ballistic vest to help cool him, and used his phone to call 911. Inmate Greg Williams recalled the deputy appeared unconscious for about a minute and was breathing rapidly when he came to. Emergency medical personnel then took over care.
‘Heroic’ response and a reward
The sheriff’s office praised what it described as a “heroic” response. Sheriff Johnny Moats said the six inmates would receive sentence reductions of about 25% because of their actions. Moats also said his department sometimes reduces remaining sentences for trustees or inmate crews who show exceptional conduct or take on responsibilities beyond what is normally expected.
Lunch after recovery
The sheriff’s office said the deputy’s family prepared food and desserts for a lunch at a park to mark his recovery and recognize the inmates’ actions.
Sourcing note
Details are attributed to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, inmate Greg Williams, and contemporaneous coverage by NBC News. This account reflects events reported in June 2017.
