When their armed guard suffered a heart attack, a group of prisoners broke the lock on their holding cell to rescue him — putting their own lives in danger.

The inmates were awaiting court appearances in Parker County, Texas when the lone armed guard fell over, unconscious, in his chair. They tried calling for help, but no one came.

The men realized if they broke out to help the guard, their actions might be mistaken for a jail break, and police could come rushing in with guns drawn—but their instinct to help was stronger.

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Throwing their combined weight against the cell door, they forced it open. Still handcuffed and shackled, they continued yelling for help and this time officers in the courtroom upstairs could hear them.

As one of them reached for the guard’s radio to call for help, police rushed into the holding room and corralled the inmates before realizing there was a medical emergency.

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Officers say the inmates’ action likely saved the guard’s life — without their help it might have been another 15 minutes before anyone found found him.

“It never crossed my mind not to help whether he’s got a gun or a badge,” inmate Nick Kelton told WFAA News. “If he falls down, I’m gonna help him.”

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Police performed CPR until paramedics arrived with a defibrillator, got his heart beating again and took him to a hospital.

This is not the first time inmates have come to the aid of their jailer. Several prisoners at the Orient Road Jail in Tampa, Florida rushed to rescue a guard, as seen on this video, during an attack by another inmate who had him in a choke hold.

(WATCH the video below from KFAA News)



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