KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — A North Carolina traffic stop turned fatal over the weekend when Edgar Maddison Welch, previously convicted for actions inspired by the false “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory, was killed by police after allegedly drawing a handgun. Officers had recognized the vehicle Welch was in as belonging to an individual with an outstanding felony warrant, leading to an approach that escalated to gunfire.
On Saturday night, Kannapolis police officers pulled over a car recognizing it from an earlier arrest linked to a felony probation violation. The individual sought for the outstanding warrant was identified as Welch, who was occupying the passenger seat at the time, according to the Kannapolis Police Department.
Upon the vehicle being stopped, officers approached and attempted to execute the arrest. According to police accounts, it was during this procedure that Welch pulled out a handgun and aimed it at one of the officers. Instructions were given for Welch to drop the weapon, which he reportedly ignored, prompting two officers to discharge their firearms.
Welch was promptly transported to a hospital following the shooting, where he succumbed to his injuries two days later. An investigation into the shooting is currently being conducted by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. As per standard procedure, the officers involved have been placed on administrative leave.
This incident closed a troubling chapter that began in 2016, when Welch, driven by unfounded online claims, attacked a Washington D.C. restaurant. Believing in a baseless theory known as “Pizzagate,” which falsely alleged that high-profile Democrats were managing a child sex trafficking ring from the Comet Ping Pong pizzeria, Welch had traveled from North Carolina armed with an assault rifle.
Inside Comet Ping Pong, as patrons hastily evacuated, Welch discharged his rifle at a locked closet, mistakenly believing it contained captives. Upon discovering no such victims, Welch surrendered to authorities and later faced legal consequences for his actions. In 2017, he pled guilty to charges including interstate transportation of a firearm and assault with a dangerous weapon. Kentaji Brown Jackson, a judge at the time who is now a Supreme Court Justice, sentenced him to four years in prison.
The Comet Ping Pong incident not only spurred major police and FBI investigations but deeply affected the restaurant’s staff and owner, James Alefantis. Despite no physical injuries, the psychological toll and ensuing fear permeated among those linked to the eatery.
The “Pizzagate” conspiracy, originally circulated online during the highly contentious 2016 U.S. presidential election, was thoroughly debunked. However, its influence lingers as a dark example of the potential real-world violence spurred by online misinformation.
As the investigation into Welch’s death progresses, further examinations of how such high-stake encounters unfold are expected, with continued debates around police responses and the ongoing impacts of propagated falsehoods on societal violence. This tragic closure of Welch’s story sheds light once more on the profound consequences of misinformation and the stark realities faced by law enforcement.