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A violent repeat offender with a documented history of firing at law enforcement and cycling through arrests across two states killed two Missouri deputies before being shot dead by police, authorities said.
Richard Dean Bird, 45, had a criminal record spanning more than a decade in Kansas and Missouri before Monday’s deadly encounter in Christian County, officials and court records show.
Bird was killed following a 30-minute shoot-out with deputies after authorities say he fatally shot Deputy Gabriel Ramirez, 30, during a traffic stop south of Highlandville just after 4 p.m. Monday. Deputy Michael Hislope, 40, was later killed during the overnight manhunt, according to Christian County Sheriff Brad Cole.
Court and booking records show Bird was arrested in Stone County, Missouri, on Feb. 20, 2026, just days before the shooting. He was booked on charges of second-degree burglary, unlawful possession of a firearm and stealing property valued at $750 or more, according to Stone County jail records.
According to court records cited by The New York Times, Bird had also recently been charged with receiving stolen property. In that case, police found him with collectible coins, including Indian-head pennies valued at about $2,000, that had been inside a safe reported stolen. Officers also discovered documents he allegedly attempted to burn, according to the warrant. Bird had posted $50,000 bond on Friday, the Times reported.
Bird’s violent record dates back to 2014.
In September of that year, he was arrested after allegedly firing multiple shots from a rifle at a Johnson County, Kansas, sheriff’s deputy investigating a theft at a construction site near 191st Street and State Line Road, according to The Kansas City Star.
The outlet reported Bird fired “multiple shots from a rifle at the deputy, who was not hit.” He was initially charged with attempted first-degree murder and theft, and his bond was set at $1 million.
Bird later pleaded guilty to reduced charges and was sentenced in 2016 on five counts stemming from that case, according to court records. Kansas Department of Corrections records show he was released in April 2023.
Court filings over the years show Bird faced multiple additional charges, including burglary, tampering, trespassing, theft and unlawful possession of a firearm.
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During a press conference Tuesday, Sheriff Cole confirmed Bird had a “lengthy” criminal record and multiple prior arrests.
The initial traffic stop that led to the deputies’ deaths happened just after 4 p.m. Monday, officials said. Authorities have not disclosed what prompted the stop.
Deputy Ramirez was killed during the initial encounter, Cole said.
Bird fled, triggering a massive manhunt involving approximately 150 officers from local, state and federal agencies, including the FBI, U.S. Marshals and ATF.
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Early Tuesday morning, deputies tracked Bird into wooded terrain near Reeds Spring. Cole said officers attempted communication but “received no response other than shooting at us.”
Deputy Hislope was killed during the exchange. Deputies Josh Wahl and Austin McCall were wounded but are recovering from injuries that are not considered life-threatening.
Bird was shot and killed during the gunfight, authorities said.
The loss has shaken the Christian County Sheriff’s Office, which has about 30 patrol officers and roughly 140 employees overall, according to Kathy Thimesch, an executive administrator with the agency who spoke to The New York Times. Thimesch told the outlet she was not aware of another officer from the department ever having been killed in the line of duty.
In a Facebook post, Cole offered a tribute to the fallen deputies.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we mourn the loss of two of our own — Deputy Gabriel Ramirez and Deputy Michael Hislope — who gave their lives in the line of duty,” Cole wrote.
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Ramirez joined the department on March 14, 2025, and though his time with the agency was brief, Cole said “his commitment to serving others and protecting this community was clear from the very beginning.”
Hislope had served since October 28, 2019, and was described by Cole as “a dedicated deputy, a trusted colleague, and a valued member of our sheriff’s office family.”
“These men answered the call to serve, putting the safety of others before their own, including serving our nation in the U.S. Army,” Cole wrote. “Their courage, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to Christian County will never be forgotten.”
The case also drew reaction from national and state leaders.
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Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., condemned the killings and pointed to Bird’s criminal history.
“Two heroic deputies in my home state of Missouri were senselessly murdered by a thug with a long history of violence toward law enforcement,” Hawley said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “We need accountability for these soft-on-crime policies destroying our communities.”
Joe Gamaldi, national vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police, called the killings “horrific news out of Missouri” and urged Americans to keep the deputies’ families in their thoughts and prayers as they face “unimaginable grief.”
“History will not be kind to our nation for its treatment of our protectors… sickening!” Gamaldi wrote.
The conservative social media account Libs of TikTok described Bird as a “career criminal” and questioned how someone with a lengthy record was back on the streets. In a post on X, the account cited Bird’s prior charges, including burglary, unlawful possession of a firearm and the 2014 attempted first-degree murder case, and asked, “Why does this keep happening?”
Missouri leaders also weighed in and honored the fallen officers.
Rep. Eric Burlison honored the fallen deputies on the House floor, noting both were U.S. Army veterans who “continued their service as deputies in southwest Missouri.”
“We remember their sacrifice and pray for their families, fellow officers, and the entire law enforcement community,” Burlison said.
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., called the incident “a devastating loss in Christian County.”
“As local law enforcement works to bring the suspect to justice, my prayers are with the deputy’s loved ones and those who served shoulder to shoulder with him to keep Missouri safe,” Schmitt wrote on X.
The FBI also issued a statement offering condolences to the deputies’ families and colleagues, noting Ramirez had served nearly a year with the department and Hislope more than six years.
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Missouri officials described the killings as a devastating loss for the state’s law enforcement community.
Sheriff Cole called it one of the “darkest days” in county history and said the department’s focus now is planning two funerals and supporting injured deputies.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to [email protected].
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