Repeat offender kills 2 deputies days after $50K bond despite long violent record: police

A convulsive repetition offender with a documented past of firing astatine instrumentality enforcement and cycling done arrests crossed 2 states killed 2 Missouri deputies earlier being changeable dormant by police, authorities said.

Richard Dean Bird, 45, had a transgression grounds spanning much than a decennary successful Kansas and Missouri earlier Monday’s deadly brushwood successful Christian County, officials and tribunal records show.

Bird was killed pursuing a 30-minute shootout with deputies aft authorities accidental helium fatally changeable Deputy Gabriel Ramirez, 30, during a postulation halt southbound of Highlandville conscionable aft 4 p.m. Monday. Deputy Michael Hislope, 40, was aboriginal killed during the overnight manhunt, according to Christian County Sheriff Brad Cole.

Court and booking records amusement Bird was arrested successful Stone County, Missouri, connected Feb. 20, 2026, conscionable days earlier the shooting. He was booked connected charges of second-degree burglary, unlawful possession of a firearm and stealing spot valued astatine $750 oregon more, according to Stone County jailhouse records.

A booking photograph of Richard Dean Bird, identified by authorities arsenic the fishy successful the fatal shooting of 2 Christian County deputies successful southwest Missouri. (Missouri State Highway Patrol Facebook)

According to tribunal records cited by The New York Times, Bird had besides precocious been charged with receiving stolen property. In that case, constabulary recovered him with collectible coins, including Indian-head pennies valued astatine astir $2,000, that had been wrong a harmless reported stolen. Officers besides discovered documents helium allegedly attempted to burn, according to the warrant. Bird had posted $50,000 enslaved connected Friday, the Times reported.

Bird’s convulsive grounds dates backmost to 2014.

In September of that year, helium was arrested aft allegedly firing aggregate shots from a firearm astatine a Johnson County, Kansas, sheriff’s lawman investigating a theft astatine a operation tract adjacent 191st Street and State Line Road, according to The Kansas City Star.

The outlet reported Bird fired "multiple shots from a firearm astatine the deputy, who was not hit." He was initially charged with attempted first-degree execution and theft, and his enslaved was acceptable astatine $1 million.

Bird aboriginal pleaded blameworthy to reduced charges and was sentenced successful 2016 connected 5 counts stemming from that case, according to tribunal records. Kansas Department of Corrections records amusement helium was released successful April 2023.

Court filings implicit the years amusement Bird faced aggregate further charges, including burglary, tampering, trespassing, theft and unlawful possession of a firearm.

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Richard Dean Bird had a lengthy transgression past earlier helium killed 2 deputies, constabulary said. (Missouri State Highway Patrol)

During a property league Tuesday, Sheriff Cole confirmed Bird had a "lengthy" transgression grounds and aggregate anterior arrests.

The archetypal postulation halt that led to the deputies’ deaths happened conscionable aft 4 p.m. Monday, officials said. Authorities person not disclosed what prompted the stop.

Deputy Ramirez was killed during the archetypal encounter, Cole said.

Bird fled, triggering a monolithic manhunt involving astir 150 officers from local, authorities and national agencies, including the FBI, U.S. Marshals and ATF.

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The Missouri State Highway Patrol issued a Blue Alert for a achromatic 2001 Chevrolet Silverado extended cab pickup truck, Missouri licence sheet 9MGX36, aft a Christian County lawman was fatally changeable adjacent Highlandville. (Missouri State Highway Patrol Facebook)

Early Tuesday morning, deputies tracked Bird into wooded terrain adjacent Reeds Spring. Cole said officers attempted connection but "received nary effect different than shooting astatine 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 changeable and killed during the gunfight, authorities said.

The nonaccomplishment has shaken the Christian County Sheriff’s Office, which has astir 30 patrol officers and astir 140 employees overall, according to Kathy Thimesch, an enforcement head with the bureau who spoke to The New York Times. Thimesch told the outlet she was not alert of different serviceman from the section ever having been killed successful the enactment 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 nonaccomplishment of 2 of our ain — Deputy Gabriel Ramirez and Deputy Michael Hislope — who gave their lives successful the enactment of duty," Cole wrote.

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Christian County Sheriff’s Office deputies Gabriel Ramirez and Michael Hislope were killed during a deadly brushwood successful southwest Missouri. Authorities said the fishy was killed pursuing a manhunt and weapon conflict successful wooded terrain adjacent Highlandville. (Christian County Sheriff’s Office Facebook)

Ramirez joined the section connected March 14, 2025, and though his clip with the bureau was brief, Cole said "his committedness to serving others and protecting this assemblage was wide from the precise beginning."

Hislope had served since October 28, 2019, and was described by Cole arsenic "a dedicated deputy, a trusted colleague, and a valued subordinate of our sheriff’s bureau family."

"These men answered the telephone to serve, putting the information of others earlier their own, including serving our federation successful the U.S. Army," Cole wrote. "Their courage, sacrifice, and unwavering committedness to Christian County volition ne'er beryllium forgotten."

The lawsuit besides drew absorption from nationalist and authorities leaders.

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Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., condemned the killings and pointed to Bird’s transgression history.

"Two heroic deputies successful my location authorities of Missouri were senselessly murdered by a thug with a agelong past of unit toward instrumentality enforcement," Hawley said successful a connection to Fox News Digital. "We request accountability for these soft-on-crime policies destroying our communities."

Joe Gamaldi, nationalist vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police, called the killings "horrific quality retired of Missouri" and urged Americans to support the deputies’ families successful their thoughts and prayers arsenic they look "unimaginable grief."

"History volition not beryllium benignant to our federation for its attraction of our protectors… sickening!" Gamaldi wrote.

The blimpish societal media relationship Libs of TikTok described Bird arsenic a "career criminal" and questioned however idiosyncratic with a lengthy grounds was backmost connected the streets. In a station connected X, the relationship cited Bird’s anterior charges, including burglary, unlawful possession of a firearm and the 2014 attempted first-degree execution case, and asked, "Why does this support happening?"

Missouri leaders besides weighed successful and honored the fallen officers. 

Rep. Eric Burlison honored the fallen deputies connected the House floor, noting some were U.S. Army veterans who "continued their work arsenic deputies successful southwest Missouri."

"We retrieve their sacrifice and commune for their families, chap officers, and the full instrumentality enforcement community," Burlison said.

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., called the incidental "a devastating nonaccomplishment successful Christian County."

"As section instrumentality enforcement works to bring the fishy to justice, my prayers are with the deputy’s loved ones and those who served enarthrosis to enarthrosis with him to support Missouri safe," Schmitt wrote connected X.

The FBI besides issued a connection offering condolences to the deputies’ families and colleagues, noting Ramirez had served astir a twelvemonth with the section and Hislope much than six years.

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Missouri officials described the killings arsenic a devastating nonaccomplishment for the state’s instrumentality enforcement community.

Sheriff Cole called it 1 of the "darkest days" successful region past and said the department’s absorption present is readying 2 funerals and supporting injured deputies.

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send communicative tips to [email protected].

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