HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The District Attorney’s Office announced in court Wednesday morning that they will recuse themselves from any prosecution of a Hutchinson-area man arrested after he allegedly held a Westar Energy employee at bay with a shotgun.

Sixty-six-year-old Marc Miller faces potential charges of aggravated assault and kidnapping. Senior Assistant District Attorney Steve Maxwell told Magistrate Judge Cheryl Allen that, because Miller has worked in the court system as a bailiff for a number of jury trials and has been a friend to the DA’s office, they won’t be prosecuting the case. They instead will have a special prosecutor, which, according to statement made in court, will be Harvey County Attorney David Yoder.

In court, Miller asked for a signature or OR bond, saying he would be willing to stay at home under house arrest and is not a flight risk. He says he also wants to be free to go to a doctor’s appointment at the VA Clinic here in Hutchinson. Judge Allen, after speaking with the special prosecutor, agreed to lower the bond, but denied an OR bond. She told us she didn’t feel comfortable with an OR bond. She set the bond at $10,000. Miller will also be under court supervision and is not allowed to have any guns. In court, they stated that family had removed the remaining guns since the incident on Tuesday.

Miller allegedly held the victim, 61-year-old Brent Bunting, a Westar Energy employee, from leaving his home east of Hutchinson after Bunting replaced an electric meter at his home. He held him at bay with a shotgun, one of many guns that were apparently in the home.

Miller is now free on bond and Judge Allen did set a status hearing in the case for March 30.

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Original Story

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County Sheriff Deputies were dispatched to 11912 E. 4th on the report of a Westar employee being held at gunpoint.

The deputy arrived and detained 66-year-old Marc Miller. The victim, 61-year-old Brent Bunting, stated that he arrived at the residence to exchange the electrical meter. He went to the front door of the residence and knocked. No one answered the door, so he put one of the fliers in the doorway and walked to the east side of the house to exchange the meter. After exchanging the meter, he was confronted by a white male who told him he didn’t have permission to be on the property and told him to put the meter back. He tried to explain that he can’t do that and began walking toward his truck.

Bunting said he was walking to his truck when Miller told him he needed to come sit down, but he ignored the request. Miller then stepped into the residence through a sliding glass door and came right back out with a shotgun. Bunting said the gun was in a soft sock-like case and Miller removed it from the case. He then told the alleged victim that he wasn’t leaving and that he needed to come sit down. Bunting made his way back up to the front of the residence where an outside table is located and sat in a chair at that location.

He told deputies that while he was seated at the table, Miller allowed him to call his supervisor.
When Deputies arrived on scene, they confronted Miller after some verbal commands Miller gave up without incident.

He was arrested for aggravated assault and kidnapping and is jailed on a bond of $105,000.

This is the second time in recent weeks that an employee of Westar Energy has been confronted over a meter change in the county.