New Hampshire man faces six weapons charges after car accident in Winchendon

WINCHENDON — On Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, at approximately 7:11 p.m., Winchendon Police Officer Justin Smith responded to the intersection of School and West streets after a man identified as Tyler Landry called 911 to report a two-vehicle crash in which he was involved.

(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Personnel Narrative of Officer Justin Smith and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)

Winchendon Police Officers James Wironen and Dylan Mei also responded to the scene.

Officer Smith said that upon arrival, he observed a gray Subaru B9 Tribeca with New Hampshire plates that had heavy front-end damage and was leaking coolant.

“I had dispatch notify Brooks Automotive for a tow as the Subaru was inoperable due to the damage,” Officer Smith said.

Officer Smith said that after the crash investigation, the operator of the Subaru, Rushane Campbell, asked Winchendon EMT Clayton Landry to ask Officer Smith for permission to retrieve items from the vehicle before it was towed, and Officer Smith granted the request and had Landry relay the approval to Campbell.

According to police, Rushane K. Campbell, 34, is a resident of Keene, New Hampshire.

“Rushane and his son were the only occupants of the Subaru,” Officer Smith said. “After Rushane and his son were evaluated by Winchendon EMS, Rushane gathered some items from the Subaru and loaded them into two larger bags. One item of note I saw Rushane retrieve was a small black sling bag.”

Officer Smith said that Campbell and his son’s ride would not be in town for some time, so Winchendon EMS offered to transport them to the police station to wait.

Once Brooks Automotive was on scene, Officer Smith conducted an inventory of the Subaru, during which he located two holsters for a handgun tucked underneath the driver’s seat.

“Once Brooks Automotive towed the Subaru, I returned to the station and had dispatch run Rushane for a Massachusetts License to Carry firearms,” Officer Smith said. “Rushane did not have a Massachusetts LTC [license to carry]. With this information, I found it reasonable [to assume] Rushane was currently in possession of a firearm without a license in the Commonwealth as I did not find a firearm in the Subaru.”

Officer Smith said that, at this time, Campbell was seated in a chair in the lobby of the police station with the two bags of items he took from his vehicle beside him.

“I waited until Sergeant Gerald Gagne returned to the station before speaking with Rushane,” Officer Smith said.

When Sgt. Gerald Gagne arrived at the station, he and Officer Smith approached Campbell in the lobby. Officer Smith told Campbell that two holsters had been found under the driver’s seat of his vehicle and then asked whether Campbell had any firearms on his person or in the bags.

“Rushane was forthcoming and said, ‘in my bag,’” Officer Smith said.

Officer Smith said that he asked Campbell which bag contained the firearm, and Campbell pointed to a black duffel bag and stated that the firearm was in a small black sling backpack—the same backpack Officer Smith had observed Campbell retrieve from the Subaru earlier and sling across his body.

“One could argue Rushane was under arrest at this point absent police declaration of such given his admission of currently being in possession of a firearm without a license with Sergeant Gagne and I both present in the lobby,” Officer Smith said. “Sergeant Gagne and I wanted to remain sensitive with the words we spoke as Rushane’s inquisitive 6-year-old son was present. While I was explaining my intention of searching his bags removed from the Subaru, Rushane said, ‘that’s fine.’”

Officer Smith searched the bags in the department’s training room, away from Campbell and his son, while Sergeant Gagne remained with them in the lobby.

“Within the black duffel bag was the small black sling bag as Rushane said,” Officer Smith said. “Within the sling bag’s large pocket, I found a black, polymer-frame Glock 19 (serial no. BUHM470) chambered in 9mm with a loaded 15-round magazine inserted into the magazine well. I also found a second magazine containing 15 rounds in the same pocket.”

Officer Smith said that both magazines, each stamped with the Glock logo, contained 15 rounds of ammunition, which he was able to observe through the windows on the rear of each magazine.

“From my training and experience with firearms, the ammunition and firearm appeared real and functional,” Officer Smith said.

After Smith notified Sergeant Gagne of his findings in the lobby, Sergeant Gagne explained to Campbell that he would be taken into custody and booked once his ride arrived so arrangements could be made for his son.

“Once Rushane’s ride arrived at the station, Rushane was escorted to the booking room without being handcuffed due to his compliance, cooperation, and the presence of his son,” Officer Smith said. “Rushane was searched, had his property inventoried, and was booked before being placed in cell #3 at 8:53 p.m. Rushane was cooperative for the entire process. Bail Commissioner David Weiss was contacted and set Rushane’s bail at $250 which was later posted, and Rushane was released at 10:33 p.m.”

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Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the arrest in this story took place in October, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to obtain the court documents. FOIAs are time-consuming.

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