Starke County Police officers arrested James Campbell, 43, of Knox early Thursday morning after he failed to comply with police when officers ordered him to get out of his vehicle and away from loaded weapons.
Police were called to a church on Toto Road after a citizen reported a male subject acting suspiciously on the property. When police arrived, the reporting officer found James Campbell in his vehicle. The officer got out of his vehicle and approached Campbell’s vehicle and asked him to step out of the truck. Campbell ignored the officer. Campbell was asked several more times to exit the vehicle. The reporting officer noted in his report that he asked Campbell to show him his hands and Campbell reportedly started to fidget with something underneath his seat. The officer drew his weapon and told Campbell to show him his hands. He did show his hands and had nothing in them at the time.
He was then asked to step out of the truck and he did not. Other officers arrived on scene and as the reporting officer got nearer to the vehicle, he saw two shotguns in the passenger side of the vehicle and Campbell admitted that he also had a handgun in the vehicle. With the help of the other officers, the guns were confiscated and Campbell was told to get out of the vehicle. He reached for his waistband and officers believed he was reaching for a gun. He was forced out of the vehicle and eventually tazed so officers could gain compliance.
Campbell was then arrested and taken to the Starke County Jail. When police searched the vehicle, they found five shotguns and ammunition. One firearm found in the truck was allegedly reported stolen from Jasper County. He has preliminary charges of Intimidation, Possession of Stolen Property, Carrying a Handgun without a Permit and Resisting Law Enforcement.
