Nixa man held employee at gunpoint in Springfield business, police say

A Nixa man is facing several charges after he allegedly armed himself and held an employee hostage at a Springfield business.

Kenneth Powers, 63, reportedly entered Edmonds Dental Prosthetics, 2065 W. Woodland St., at approximately 1:45 p.m. April 18, according to court documents.

Steven Edmonds, owner of Edmonds Dental Prosthetics, told police that he had received a message to call Powers earlier that day. Edmonds said he knew Powers as a UPS driver who delivered packages to the business, as well as the father of a man previously employed there, court documents stated.

Edmonds called Powers at about noon Thursday and Powers allegedly began making threats. Powers told Edmonds that his son who had been employed at the facility was in the hospital on "life support."

Powers blamed his son's condition on being allegedly fired from the business six years prior and specifically mentioned one supervisor by name, court documents stated. After the phone call, Edmonds notified other employees of the threats and to keep watch in case Powers came to the facility.

Edmonds found out that Powers was inside the building around 1:45 p.m. and saw Powers holding a handgun to the back of an employee, who had his hands raised in the air, according to court documents. Powers was holding the employee's collar with one hand and the gun to the man's back in the other.

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The employee held by Powers later told police that he was working when Powers grabbed him by the neck and asked for the supervisor who allegedly fired his son. Powers began escorting the employee around the business, looking for the supervisor. The employee told police that Powers said, "I am going to kill that (person)," in reference to the supervisor.

Edmonds began to plead with Powers to speak to him and the man was able to get away. Another employee then tackled Powers and knocked him to the ground. Other employees also helped and were able to disarm Powers. They held Powers until law enforcement officials arrived, according to court documents.

Powers was arrested and during a post Miranda interview, he told an investigator why he had gone to the business. One of his son's had been employed at the business, but a supervisor — whose name Powers could not recall — was "incompetent" and it caused the son to lose his job.

"(Powers' son) had an alcohol problem and Powers believed it was the result of being fired," court documents stated.

Powers' son was allegedly admitted to Mercy Hospital earlier that week and Powers learned on the same day of the incident that his son "was not likely to survive his illness," court documents stated. Sonya Kullmann, Mercy's Communications Manager, confirmed the son's name was listed as a patient and that he is in serious condition.

"Powers left the hospital and drove home, telling me he got more and more angry as he drove," the investigator wrote.

When Powers got to his home in Nixa, he reportedly retrieved a handgun and rifle from his bedroom. He allegedly loaded the .308 caliber semiautomatic rifle magazine with 20 rounds of ammunition, court documents stated. Powers also took a .45 caliber semiautomatic handgun with two magazines.

"Powers said he had a total of 20 rounds of ammunition for the handgun and 20 rounds for the rifle, believing later he loaded the wrong kind of ammunition for his rifle, but not realizing he was doing so at the time," the investigator wrote.

Powers then drove to Edmonds Dental Prosthetics, stopped his vehicle in the parking lot and entered the business with the handgun concealed in his pants, court documents stated. Powers began yelling for the supervisor who allegedly fired his son.

Powers then grabbed an employee by the collar and he walked around with the employee for about five minutes while looking for the supervisor before being tackled and disarmed, court documents stated.

"I asked Powers what he would have done if he found the supervisor he was looking for and he told me he was not sure," the investigator wrote.

Officers located a handgun that employees took from Powers, as well as loaded magazines for the handgun and a magazine for the rifle. The handgun was loaded with a round in the chamber, according to court documents. During an inventory search of Powers' vehicle, police found the unloaded rifle.

Powers is being charged with first-degree kidnapping, first-degree kidnapping with the intent to terrorize and inflict injury, first-degree assault, three counts of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon, according to court documents.

According to Greene County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Philip Fuhrman's recommendation, Powers is being held at the Greene County Jail without bond. Should a bond be set, Fuhrman requested that the court impose conditions.

"Defendant was heroically tackled from behind when he was no longer pointing the gun at the employee who he had taken hostage," the recommendation stated. "Defendant is a danger to the victims, any witnesses present at the business, and the community."

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