New Hampshire

Autopsy Performed on Man Killed in New Hampshire Police Shooting

The state trooper who was involved has been placed on administrative leave

An autopsy has been conducted on a man who was killed in a police-involved shooting Saturday in Epping, New Hampshire.

Law enforcement officials say a gun was found in the hand of a 40-year-old Walter Welch Jr., a Fremont man who was shot by a state trooper during a roadside encounter.

Monday, the attorney general's office announced that an autopsy had determined that the cause of Welch's death was gunshot wounds to the head.

Authorities say around 6:45 p.m. Saturday, police received a 911 call about an erratic driver in a white pickup truck on Route 101.

A state trooper spotted the vehicle 15 minutes later off Exit 6, southbound on Beede Road in Epping.

The trooper approached the stopped pickup truck, at which time "an encounter ensued" in which the trooper discharged his firearm, killing Welch Jr.

Welch, the sole occupant of the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The trooper was not physically injured during the incident but was evaluated at a local hospital before being released.

The trooper, whose name is being withheld pending his interview, was placed on administrative leave according to protocol.

The exact circumstances surrounding the trooper's discharge of his weapon remain under active investigation.

Police say there is no known video footage of the incident because state police cruisers don’t have dash cams and troopers don’t have body cameras.

Any person who witnessed the incident is asked to contact Sgt. William Bright of the New Hampshire Police major crime unit at 603-271-3636.

State police and the attorney general are investigating.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
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