CHELSEA, Vt. (AP) – A 16-year-old Thetford boy accused of holding two people hostage in a bank standoff had shown no signs that he was troubled, the boy’s lawyer said Thursday.

After Daniel Eaton appeared in Vermont District Court in Chelsea Thursday where he pleaded not guilty to the charges against him defense attorney William Donahue said everyone was surprised.

“This is a good kid, never been in trouble with the law before,” Donahue said. “He seems to be a good, quiet kid. He seems to be concerned about the community, about himself, about life. It’s very difficult to explain how he has gotten himself into a situation like this.”

Donahue wouldn’t describe Eaton’s demeanor.

A police affidavit filed with the court said Eaton’s parents told police the boy was suicidal. Eaton told a mental health professional after his arrest Wednesday that if he were released he would kill someone, the document said.

Vermont District Court Judge Mary Miles Teachout ordered Eaton held without bail and that he should undergo a psychiatric evaluation. The bail issue will be revisited once the evaluation has been completed.

Eaton is facing two counts each of kidnapping, two counts of reckless endangerment and one count of using a firearm in the commission of a crime. The maximum penalty on the kidnapping charges is 30 years in prison.

Court documents said that at about 11:20 a.m. Wednesday Eaton went into the East Thetford branch of the Merchants Bank carrying a shotgun and a handgun and wearing a gas mask.

Branch President Sherry Crossley told police that when Eaton entered the bank he told her to call police. At some point during the process Eaton fired one shot from the shotgun he carried that went between Crossley and the other bank employee Clyde Berry. The pellets from the shotgun hit a desk and a wall, documents said.

Police said Wednesday that Eaton told police on the phone that he wanted to speak with a mental health professional.

Crossley told police she felt Eaton fired because he did not believe she was moving fast enough.

Eaton then ordered Crossley and Berry into the safety deposit room.

Police negotiators spoke with Eaton on the telephone and he let the hostages leave the bank just after 2 p.m. Eaton walked out about 25 minutes later and was taken into custody.

There were no injuries.

Eaton was led into court Thursday wearing leg irons and handcuffed to a chain around his waist. He appeared to be wearing the same blue Thetford Academy T-shirt he was wearing Wednesday.

Eaton had a large bruise on the left side of his face that Donahue said the boy suffered when he was tackled by police after he left the bank.

Eaton’s parents, Julia and Samuel, sat in the courtroom during the hearing with a third person. They did not speak with reporters.

“I think this is very difficult on the parents,” Donahue said. “I think this has completely taken them by surprise.”

Donahue was asked if he knew of anything that could have triggered Wednesday’s actions

“Not to my satisfaction. I guess I won’t say anything more than that,” Donahue said.

Time will provide more information, he said.

“When we have the psychiatrist’s report everybody’s going to know more about this kid and why what happened, happened,” Donahue said. “We’ll know a lot more then. Right now we’re kind of shooting in the dark.”

AP-ES-08-03-06 1640EDT