Police records say a man who is charged with supplying the weapon used to kill a western Missouri police officer admitted that he bought the rifle for the suspect and threw it in a creek after the shooting.
William Noble, of Clinton, was charged Thursday with felony tampering with evidence. He is accused of buying the rifle that investigators believe Ian McCarthy used in the killing of Clinton police Officer Gary Michael on Sunday.
A probable cause statement says Noble told a Missouri State Highway Patrol officer that he bought the rifle at McCarthy's request. He says he "panicked" Monday when he saw the rifle leaning against a doorway at his home.
According to the statement, Noble threw the weapon into a creek, from where it was retrieved Thursday.
