A manhunt is underway for a man who shot and killed Officer Gary Michael during a traffic stop around 10:45 p.m. Sunday in Clinton, Missouri.
Reports claim the suspect, 39-year-old Ian McCarthy, is still considered to be armed and dangerous. Authorities are currently asking for witness to report any information on the shooting or McCarthy's whereabouts.
Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Bill Lowe said in a statement obtained by ABC News that Officer Michael had been with the police force for less than a year when he was shot after pulling over a suspicious vehicle late Sunday night.
Upon exiting his vehicle to investigate, Michael was shot but managed to fire back at the suspect. It is still unknown whether the suspect was injured in the altercation.
Police say that after the fatal shooting, the suspect fled the scene in his vehicle and crashed a few blocks away. After the crash, police suspect that the shooter fled on foot.
No weapon was uncovered at the scene, leaving the police to assume that the suspect may still be armed and dangerous. The Missouri State Highway Patrol issued a photo of the suspect with a request for any helpful information on their Facebook page seen here:
Online court record information obtained by USA Today claim indicate that McCarthy had a warrant out for his arrest that stems from a previous run-in with the highway patrol. McCarthy was also charged in late 2015 with large unlawful possession of a firearm, which is a class C felony, but the warrant was shown to have never been executed.
Officer Michael is the first officer to die in the line of duty from his department, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. The Kansas City Star also obtained a statement from Michael's fellow officer Patrol Sgt. Lowe, in which he said of his late colleague, "He had always wanted to be a police officer."
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