January 30, 2026 4:00 p.m. 

Oregon State Police have arrested a Winston man on 23 charges, following a series of incidents, some allegedly involving a firearm, on Interstate 5 just north of Roseburg on Thursday morning.

An OSP report released on Friday afternoon said just before 8:20 a.m. OSP and local law enforcement agencies responded to multiple calls regarding a person discharging a firearm from a vehicle on Interstate 5 northbound near milepost 128, approximately a mile south of the Winchester exit.

A preliminary investigation indicated that the suspect, 53-year-old Charles Simmons, was reportedly discharging the weapon from within his pickup while traveling northbound on the interstate. The suspect reportedly contacted pedestrians, attempted to stop other motorists, and caused a non-injury crash with another vehicle while displaying and at times discharging the firearm. The suspect was located by law enforcement and was taken into custody.

Charges include unlawful use of a weapon, menacing, attempting to commit a Class A felony, reckless driving, recklessly endangering another person, second-degree counts of disorderly conduct and intimidation, third-degree criminal mischief, unlawful possession/concealment of a firearm, discharging a weapon on or across a highway, and first-degree robbery, with multiple counts of several of the charges. Charles Simmons was detained on $1 million dollars bail.

After identifying the suspect, it was later learned that he had contacted the Roseburg OSP office and made concerning statements related to “foreign” persons driving on the freeway. OSP is investigating possible bias crimes in relation to this incident and the suspect’s previous statement.

OSP was assisted by the Roseburg Police Department, Winston Police Department, Sutherlin Police Department, and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

Any witnesses are asked to contact OSP dispatch at 800-442-2068.