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WINCHENDON – On Saturday, April 15, at 10:27 p.m., Sergeant Raymond Anair of the Winchendon Police Department was dispatched to the intersection of Route 12 and 140 following a report from a man who said he was driving behind a red Ford F150 pickup truck that was swerving “all over the road.”
The caller gave police the truck’s license plate number.
According to Sgt. Anair’s Narrative for the incident, as he was pulling out of the station, the 911 caller called back into to report that they were just passing the Valero Gas Station on Spring Street.
“I was approaching the Blair Square intersection, and saw the pickup truck turn onto Central Street,” wrote Sgt. Anair in his Narrative. “[The 911 caller] stopped, flashed his lights, and let me make a U-turn to go after the truck. I activated my blue lights and the truck stopped at the intersection of Central and Summer [streets]. I got out and went to the driver’s side of the truck. As I was doing so, [the 911 caller] yelled out of his car that the truck had been ‘all over the road,’ all the way from Gardner. I gave him a thumbs up and approached the truck.”
According to Sgt. Anair, he asked the driver for his license and registration, also informing him that he was being recorded with a body camera. The man’s license identified him as Jeffrey Chartier, 40, a resident of Hubbardston Road in Templeton, who works as a fire fighter for the City of Gardner.
(Source: Gardner Police Department)
“He asked why he was stopped,” explained Sgt. Anair in his Narrative. “I told him that the driver behind him had said that he was ‘all over the road.’ As the driver spoke, I noticed the odor of an alcoholic beverage upon his breath. I noticed that his face seemed flushed, and his eyes bloodshot and glassy. As he leaned over towards his glove box, I noticed a black handgun in a holster in the center console. I immediately ordered him out of the truck.”
While Sgt. Anair frisked Chartier, Chartier informed him that his gun was licensed. The officer then retrieved the gun – which was later determined to be a Glock 23 with eight rounds of ammunition in the magazine, but nothing in the chamber – from the center console.
“I then asked Jeff how much he had to drink,” Sgt. Anair said in his Narrative. “He said that he had been ‘burning all day and had a few beers.’ I asked if he would be willing to perform sobriety tests. He said no. When he spoke, I noticed that his speech appeared slurred. Based on my observation of his person: slurred speech, bloodshot, glassy eyes, the odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath as well as his admission to having consumed a few beers, and the witness observations, I formed the opinion that Jeff was operating under the influence of liquor. He was placed under arrest.”
After advising Chartier of his Miranda rights and placing him in his cruiser, Sgt. Anair asked Chartier if there were ant more guns or ammunition in his truck. According to Sgt. Anair, Chartier said there might be a magazine in the driver’s door pocket. Instead, while looking for the magazine, Sgt. Anair found some money, Chartier’s license to carry and his cell phone in the driver’s door pocket.
While back at the station for booking, Sgt. Anair said Chartier agreed to take a breathalyzer test and blew a 0.17 blood alcohol content (BAC) level (the BAC limit in Massachusetts for those over 21 years of age is .08).
Chartier was charged with OUI liquor and carrying a licensed firearm while intoxicated. Chartier’s license to carry was seized by Winchendon Police, he was given notice of suspension, and his Glock was kept as evidence.
Chartier was later released on bail.
Chartier was arraigned in Winchendon District Court on April 18. He returned to court for a pretrial hearing on April 21. He is scheduled to appear in court again on June 16.
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Disclaimer 2: If you are wondering why the incident in this story was from mid-April (you’re an a$$hole that doesn’t understand my business model, just kidding🃏), that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to get the court documents for the incident. FOIAs are time consuming.
