Florida police are commending a group of prison inmates who intervened in a violent attack on a prison guard last Monday.

"Clearly if the inmates hadn't intervened here, this probably would have ended in tragedy," said Col. Jim Previtera, commander of Hillsborough County's Department of Detention Services.

A surveillance video shows Douglas Burden, 24, attacking Kenneth Moon, 64, while he worked alone at the Orient Road Jail. Several other inmates rushed to the scene to help the officer and stop the attack. The inmates pulled Burden off the prison guard, who escaped without any serious injuries.

"There's no doubt the inmates went above and beyond what's expected for someone who's incarcerated," Previtera said.

Burden, who was jailed under charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and drug trafficking, has been charged with one count of battery on a law enforcement officer.

The four inmates who came to the rescue may get some help of their own.

Deputy Larry McKinnon said Thursday the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office will write letters to the inmates' attorneys that can be used on their behalf in court. The men are in jail for charges including home invasion and attempted murder.

Previtera said the jail, which is located just east of Tampa, houses roughly 3,600 inmates in two facilities.

with files from The Associated Press