Kenneth Miller
(Hartville) – A man who lives in a rural area near Grovespring is accused of firing shots at law enforcement officers and setting a patrol car on fire Saturday night.
Kenneth Miller is charged with two counts of assaulting a law enforcement officer and three counts of shooting a firearm from a vehicle.
Wright County Sheriff Glenn Adler said in a press release Monday that his office received a call at 8:18 PM Saturday that Miller had a gun and was going to harm himself. Two deputies went to Miller’s home on Klondike Road northwest of Grovespring to investigate.
When the deputies arrived, Miller came out of his house and reportedly waved a gun at the officers. The deputies tried to get him to put down the handgun but he reportedly refused, instead he went back inside and shot out the front window of the house.
Adler says the officers fled on foot because they couldn’t safely get back to their cars, walking three-fourths of a mile until they could get cell service and call for help. 25 officers from the Wright, Webster and Laclede sheriff’s offices, as well as state troopers and Hartville police officers, arrived for assistance, along with firefighters from Grovespring and an ambulance.
A Missouri State Highway Patrol helicopter with a thermal imaging device flew in from Jefferson City and a Highway Patrol armored vehicle drove in from Springfield. After they arrived, officers say Miller fired shots at them.
Officers approached the home to find Miller. That’s where he pushed a Wright County patrol car with his tractor and allegedly set the car on fire with a police dog inside. The dog did escape.
Miller then fled, and the helicopter crew directed the armored vehicle driver and two teams of officers to find Miller, who was arrested at 1:38 AM Sunday morning.
Miller’s bond was set at $250,000, with more charges possible.
The framework is all that remains of a Wright County patrol car following Saturday's incident near Grovespring. (Photo provided)