What’s Good: Inmates Catch Suicidal Inmate Who Jumped Off Ledge

Deonte Blackwell, Austin Dirkx, and Rodolfo Hernandez del Angel are three inmates, all in for non-violent crimes,  at a jail in St. Paul, Minnesota  who are now being regarded as heroes after an incident last Wednesday. The three inmates saw another inmate climb up onto a railing above the common area last Wednesday. They thought he was going to jump.

Two of the inmates, Dirkx and Hernandez, tried to talk him off the ledge. While this was happening the third inmate, Blackwell, ran and grabbed a laundry cart nearby in case they couldn't convince the inmate from stepping down off the ledge. It is a good thing he did. When the guy did end up jumping, they were able to catch him in the laundry cart so the only injury he received was a twisted ankle.

Someone managed to catch it all on video and the sheriff even came to the prison to meet and thank them and wish them luck when they get out. The prison is also planning on adding fencing to the second level as an inmate died two years ago from the same incident.