Police hunt killer of Missouri officer

A manhunt was underway on Monday for a man suspected of shooting and killing a Missouri police officer during a traffic stop on Sunday evening.

Gary Michael, 37, a police officer in Clinton, Mo., died at a hospital shortly after he was shot by a driver he had pulled over about 10:45 p.m. Sunday, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said in a statement on Monday.

The Highway Patrol identified the suspect as Ian McCarthy, 39. McCarthy was charged on Monday with one count of first-degree murder and one count of armed criminal action, according to court papers.

The Highway Patrol statement said Michael had been able to return fire but it was not clear whether McCarthy had been struck or wounded during the exchange.

It said the suspect lives in Clinton and should be considered armed and dangerous. Eric Greitens, the governor of Missouri, shared a picture of McCarthy on Facebook and urged residents to be on the lookout.

Before shots were fired, Michael radioed in a description of the suspect’s car, a 2008 Dodge Nitro sport utility vehicle, according to a probable cause statement filed with the court by Sgt. Greg Martin, an investigator with the Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control.