Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan
End of Watch: Sunday, September 10, 1972
Age: 54
Tour of Duty: 24 years
Badge Number: 219
Cause of Death: Vehicular assault
Date of Incident: September 10, 1972
Weapon Used: Automobile
Suspect Info: Convicted of negligent homicide
Conservation Officer Gerald Welling was killed when he was intentionally struck by bear poachers while patrolling a local dump near Iron Mountain.
He was attempting to stop the two suspected poachers who were spotlighting bears at night. The poachers were in a pickup truck with a hydraulic plow on the front. As Officer Welling approached them on foot, signaling them to stop, the truck suddenly accelerated, striking him and dragging him approximately 100 feet.
The man driving the vehicle was charged with first-degree murder but convicted of negligent homicide. He served only 9-1/2 months in prison before being released.
Officer Welling was a WWII veteran and had served with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for 24 years. He was survived by his wife, two sons, and three daughters and is buried in Pleasant Ridge Cemetery, Coe, Isabella County, Michigan.