KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Kannapolis Police are providing a timeline on what led up to a man being shot and killed by officers.
Around 10 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 4, a KPD officer was patrolling North Cannon Boulevard when he spotted a gray 2001 GMC Yukon, police say. He recognized it as a vehicle driven by a person he had previously arrested and who currently had an outstanding warrant.
The officer stopped the car. While speaking with the driver, the officer recognized the front-seat passenger as the person with the outstanding warrant. Two other officers arrived at this time.
The first officer went to the passenger side of the SUV and opened the front door, wanting to arrest the wanted person. According to authorities, when the officer opened the door, the wanted man pulled a handgun from his jacket and pointed it at the officer.
That officer and another officer standing at the rear passenger side of the SUV both told the man multiple times to drop the gun, police say. The man did not drop the gun, and both officers shot at the man, striking him.
Medical aid was called to help the man, and he was taken to Atrium Cabarrus. However, he was then transferred to Atrium Charlotte, where he later died from his injuries on Monday, Jan 6.
The three officers and the driver of the Yukon were uninjured. The man who died has been identified as Edgar Maddison Welch of Salisbury. He was wanted for a felony probation violation.
The officers who fired their weapons have been named as Officer Brooks Jones and Officer Caleb Tate. The third officer did not shoot his gun and remains unnamed.
As is policy, the State Bureau of Investigation is in charge of investigating the shooting, and Officer Jones and Officer Tate are on administrative leave.
No more updates are expected until the end of the investigation and a decision is made by the Cabarrus County District Attorney.
