Will Schmitt

Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Police are searching Monday for a person of interest authorities consider "armed and dangerous" after the fatal shooting of a Missouri police officer Sunday night.

A first-degree murder charge was filed against Ian McCarthy, of Clinton, Mo., who remains at large and is the subject of an ongoing manhunt in western Missouri.

Officer Gary Michael, 37, was shot and killed after pulling over a driver near Clinton, a town about 90 miles north of Springfield.

According to a news release from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Michael pulled over a Dodge Nitro for a traffic stop. The release said the suspect got out of the vehicle and started shooting, striking the trooper.

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Michael was taken to a hospital, where he died of his injuries. The vehicle was found crashed against a tree about two blocks away, the Associated Press reported.

Authorities were searching for McCarthy, 39, after Michael's death.

The highway patrol said McCarthy should be considered "armed and dangerous" and urged people with information about his whereabouts to call 911 and avoid contacting him.

Sgt. Bill Lowe with the highway patrol said authorities from multiple agencies were searching Clinton and surrounding Henry County, Mo., for McCarthy. Authorities have searched his home and have determined the type of weapon used in the shooting, Lowe said, though that information is not being released at this time.

"We're looking at a big search area," said Lowe, adding that because of the time that has passed since the shooting, McCarthy may still be on foot after the crash of his vehicle or he may have found a ride.

Online court records indicate McCarthy had a warrant out for his arrest stemming from a previous run-in with the highway patrol. McCarthy was charged in late 2015 with unlawful possession of a firearm, a class C felony, but the warrant was never executed.

Follow Will Schmitt on Twitter: @ws_missouri

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