A corrections deputy received minor injuries when an elevator at the Spokane County Jail malfunctioned.

Janice A. Bauer was treated and released at Spokane hospital after the elevator suddenly dropped, then abruptly stopped, throwing her to the floor on Sunday.

The elevator operator saw Bauer on her knees and asked if she was OK, but didn't respond for several seconds. The elevator was stuck between the jail annex and the second floor. Deputies pried open the doors and pulled Bauer to the second-floor annex.

"Jail staff report that malfunctions with the elevators have become an ongoing problem in the aging facility, and other deputies have reported incidents of the elevators dropping and stopping suddenly," according to a news release.

One jailer recently was trapped with inmates in the elevator for several minutes, officials said.

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