A Florida inmate who was hailed a hero for rescuing Hillsborough County deputies from being murdered by other inmates on two separate occasions is getting out of jail and into a treatment program.
On Thursday, Mary Jean was ready to take a plea deal and get out of jail. Her time behind bars earned her a broken hand and somewhat hero status.
It all began on June 7 when a female corrections officer at the Falkenberg jail was about to be attacked by a scheming inmate who was armed with a pillowcase and shank.
Prison surveillance video shows other inmates run over, including Jean, who dived into action.
Her lawyer Denitsa Kolev said, “She said she saw the deputy’s feet in the air, and she had to do what she could and there was a possibly a shank that she saw at the moment.”
According to court records, inmate Bridgette Harvey and co-defendant April Colvin plotted an escape plan. They created a ruse, where inmate Colvin pretended to be gravely sick in order to lure the deputy into the bathroom where Harvey would take over, assault the deputy and grab her keys to escape the pod.
“She had no reason to do this, to jump in and save a deputy while she’s an inmate it shows she really is a good person,” explained Kolev.
It wasn’t the first time Jean has come to the rescue of a detention deputy. She did it six months earlier. “She did jump in again with a different inmate who had attacked a deputy while she was on her computer,” explained Kolev.
Hillsborough inmate Stephanie Camera is now charged with battery of a law enforcement officer and resisting with violence.
As for Jean, she pled guilty to drug charges and is now headed to a treatment program for a year that will be followed by probation.
