Pittsburg County Deputy Gets Stuck On Elevator With Nine Inmates

Thursday, February 20th 2014, 10:45 pm

By: Tess Maune

There were some tense moments for a Green Country deputy who got stuck in an elevator with nine inmates. He was taking the inmates from the courthouse back to jail.

They were in an elevator when the power went out, leaving the deputy trapped and outnumbered.

It's your typical elevator, no more than four feet by five.

"It's not really big," said Pittsburg County Transport Deputy, Jason Klink. "We're in a steel box, I mean, that's what we're in. It's an elevator."

Klink, can joke about it now because the elevator is back up and running; unlike the last time he was in it. On Wednesday, while taking inmates back to the jail after their court appearances, the trouble came mid-ride.

"The elevator quit," Klink said.

And with that, Klink was trapped between the second and third floors, surrounded by nine inmates. So, he pushed the help button, called the fire department and waited.

When asked if it made him nervous being outnumbered, Klink said, "It did a little bit, but you know, we restrained them pretty well. It's our policy to do that whenever we do a transport, just because something might happen."

Klink was able to keep the peace for 30 minutes, even when some inmates got stir crazy.

"A few of them started getting a little upset, but we got them calmed down and everything went through just fine," said Klink.

Once firefighters made it to the courthouse, Klink said it was a fairly easy fix.

"I think they were all ecstatic when the door opened, I think they were," said Klink. "They were very happy to see somebody had came and opened the door for us."

Ten men walked out free, but for nine of them, that feeling was only temporary.

Klink said that elevator is there to take offenders to and from the courtroom. He said even after being stuck for 30 minutes, he has no plans to take the stairs.