Edgar Maddison Welch, the North Carolina man known for becoming the face of the “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory, was killed by two Kannapolis, N.C., police officers after he pulled a gun on them at a traffic stop on Jan. 4, officials said on Thursday, Jan. 9.
Around 10:00 p.m., a Kannapolis police officer spotted a gray 2001 GMC Yukon, which he knew was associated with a previously arrested individual, according to a press release from Kannapolis Chief of Police Terry L. Spry. Once the officer stopped the car, they recognized the front seat passenger as Welch, a person with an outstanding warrant for a felony probation violation.
As the officer and driver spoke, “two additional Kannapolis officers arrived at the traffic stop to assist,” per the press release. “The officer who initiated the traffic stop approached the passenger side of the vehicle and opened the front passenger’s door to arrest the individual.”
As the officer opened the door, Welch pulled a handgun from his jacket and pointed it toward the officer. “That officer and a second officer who was standing at the rear passenger side of the Yukon gave commands for the passenger to drop the gun. After the passenger failed to comply with their repeated requests, both officers fired their duty weapon at the passenger, striking him,” police said.
Authorities called for medical assistance, and Welch was transported to Atrium–Cabarrus for treatment. He was later transferred to Atrium–Charlotte for additional care, where he succumbed to his injuries on Monday, Jan. 6.
The three officers, the Yukon driver and backseat passenger were not injured.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident. The officers were put on administrative leave, per standard protocol.
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Welch was associated with the conspiracy theory that suggested children were being trafficked out of Comet Ping Pong. He watched YouTube videos that theorized Hillary Clinton was involved in a satanic pedophile ring.
In December 2016, Welch drove from his hometown of Salisbury, N.C., to the pizza parlor and entered openly carrying an AR-15-style rifle and a revolver, which led terrified customers and employees to flee the eatery.
Once inside, he found a locked room and attempted to force the door open. He then fired his rifle multiple times into the door, per The Washington Post. Welch remained in the eatery for 20 minutes and then dropped his gun and left unarmed. No one was hurt.
Welch later told The New York Times he did “regret how I handled the situation” but did not completely dismiss the theories.
Welch pleaded guilty to a federal charge of interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition and a D.C. charge of assault with a dangerous weapon. He received a sentence of four years in prison; he was released in May 2020. His posttrial supervision was set to end in 2023.
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