Deputies, Inmates Unite to Save Prisoner's Life

Another inmate volunteered to assist and do a mouth to mouth resuscitation, officials said.

Deputies and prisoners united last Friday in an effort to save an inmate’s life at Men’s Central Jail.

The man, in his 40s, was described as gray and lifeless when LA County Sheriff’s deputies found him in his bunk at 10 p.m. Friday, after inmates alerted the dorm officer that the man was having chest pains.

"He immediately stopped breathing. And his pulse disappeared. Deputy (Tunisia Black) was monitoring his pulse at his ankle and noticed his breathing stopped. We immediately fipped him on his back, and started CPR," Senior Dep. Michael Schrum said.

Schrum, Black, and Custody Assistant Carlos Luna tended to the inmate.

"Then it stopped again and we laid him on the floor. And then we did the chest compressions again, and then the nursing staff arrived," Deputy Tunisia Black said.

Another inmate volunteered to assist and do a mouth to mouth resuscitation, officials said.

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The actions resulted in the inmate regaining consciousness and breathing on his own. He was treated by paramedics and returned to the inmate population.

"There were tears in people's eyes, and everyone was applauding when we got up," Schrum said.

Men’s Central Jail is home to more than 4,700 inmates, some awaiting trial and others serving time.

"They said thank you and they were very appreciative that we saved one of the inmates," Black said.

READ: 18 LA Deputies Face Civil Righyts, Corruption Charges

In December, 18 former and current deputies were indicted for allegedly beating inmates at Men's Central Jail.

"(Friday's lifesaving incident) was one of those moments where you've got an inmate and a deputy sheriff working together to accomplish a goal, a lifesaving goal at that," Capt. Dan Dyer said.

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