Alert driver's tip led to capture of police killing suspect

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A man charged in the shooting death of a western Missouri police officer was arrested after an alert driver provided a tip the fugitive was wandering within miles of where the killing took place, a law-enforcement official said.

The driver reported seeing Ian McCarthy walking along a state highway near Bucksaw Marina, just east of Clinton, and he was arrested without incident late Tuesday, Sgt. Bill Lowe of the Missouri State Highway Patrol said at a news conference later that night.

The arrest ended a two-day manhunt that began after 37-year-old Clinton police officer Gary Michael was shot to death during a traffic stop Sunday night in Clinton, about 75 miles southeast of Kansas City.

Michael and McCarthy had exchanged gunfire before the officer died and the driver fled. Lowe said McCarthy, 39, was suffering from a gunshot wound when a patrol trooper arrested him. Lowe said the wound "wasn't serious" and probably was from his confrontation with McCarthy.

Lowe declined to comment on whether McCarthy had offered in insight on a possible motive when he was questioned after his arrest.

McCarthy was taken to a Kansas City-area hospital for treatment and then was taken into custody at the Henry County Jail. He is scheduled to be arraigned Friday on charges of first-degree murder and armed criminal action. Online court records as of Wednesday do not show whether McCarthy has an attorney.

"We're just extremely thankful to the citizens of Henry County and citizens of Clinton that continued to give us tips and information. Without that, we may still be looking for him," Lowe said.

McCarthy was not armed when he was arrested. As of late Wednesday afternoon, Lowe said, investigators had not found the weapon used in Michael's shooting.

Investigators on Wednesday still were trying to retrace McCarthy's whereabouts during his two days on the run and determine whether he had any help eluding authorities, Lowe said.

As the investigation continues, attention turned to honoring Michael, who was the first officer killed in the line of duty in Clinton.

His body was returned Wednesday to Clinton from Kansas City, where it had been since Monday while an autopsy was performed. A long line of police cars from across the state accompanied the body on the nearly 70-mile route, with emergency lights flashing. Along the route, vehicles stopped as the procession passed and onlookers paused to watch.

Hundreds of residents waited with police officers to greet Michael's body when it arrived in Clinton. At the funeral home, his fellow officers saluted as his body was carried into the building before a prayer was said.

McCarthy also is wanted in New Hampshire, where a warrant was issued in 2013 when he failed to show up for sentencing on a disorderly-conduct charge, according to court records in that state. He served about four years in prison there for first-degree assault and a parole violation. He also is wanted on a warrant out of Johnson County, Missouri, in 2015 for unlawful possession of a firearm.

Lowe said earlier Tuesday it was possible those outstanding warrants prompted McCarthy to shoot Michael to avoid arrest. He also could have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or not in his right mind for some reason, Lowe said.

Michael's brother, Chris Michael, said the family is relieved the suspect has been caught alive so "justice could be served." Michael told KCTV5 that McCarthy's capture was a positive step for everyone mourning his brother.

"We're just happy that we're going to be able to put this one Band-Aid in a long process of healing on, and start to move forward," he said.

Michael, who had been on the force less than a year, was a military police officer overseas for about five years before returning to the Kansas City area. He decided in his 30s to become a police officer and served in Appleton City for a short time before joining the force in Clinton.

Associated Press reporter Jim Suhr contributed to this story.

Pertinent address:

Clinton, Mo.