WATCH: Jail inmates save deputy

Tampa, Florida - Four inmates at Hillsborough County's Orient Road Jail are being hailed as heroes for saving the life of the detention deputy.

Surveillance video captured the brutal attack, as inmate Douglas Emanuel Burden lunged toward Deputy Kenneth Moon and placed him a choke hold.

Within seconds, several inmates rushed to the deputy's aid.

"This is the kind of stuff you lose sleep over," said Colonel James Previtera with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

The first inmate at Deputy Moon's side was Jerry Dieguez, Jr who punched Burden in an attempt to get him to let go.

Inmates Hoang Vu, David Schofield, Terrell Carswell followed to help. Surveillance video shows Schofield picking up Deputy Moon's radio and calling for help.

"They had a lot of difficulty breaking the choke hold," said Col. Previtera, "Deputy Moon's face was turning purple."

By the time they separated Burden from the deputy, dozens of inmates are seen trying to help. No one knows why Burden attacked. The sheriff's office says it was unprovoked, which is evident when you watch the video.

Sheriff David Gee and his staff are convinced, had it not been for those inmates, Deputy Moon could have been killed.

These were inmates who were booked on charges of home invasion robbery and Hoang is facing a charge of attempted first degree murder.

Despite those charges, Col. Previtera says you have to applaud them for what they did. He believes their life saving efforts are reflective of the level of respect between detention deputies and inmates.

He says he met with the inmates after the attack to thank them, but said their only concern was for Deputy Moon.

"He's a good guy," the Colonel said of the 64-year old detention deputy, a 22 year veteran of the sheriff's office.

The sheriff's office says it will send letters to the attorneys of the inmates who helped save Deputy Moon to let them know what they did and thank them.

Burden was immediately placed in confinement after the attack, where he remains. He is now facing charges of battery on a law enforcement officer on top of the drug charges he was booked on originally in March.