Richard Dean Bird had posted $50K bond just days before Monday's fatal shootings
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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.
A booking photo of Richard Dean Bird, identified by authorities as the suspect in the fatal shooting of two Christian County deputies in southwest Missouri. (Missouri State Highway Patrol Facebook)
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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Richard Dean Bird had a lengthy criminal history before he killed two deputies, police said. (Missouri State Highway Patrol)
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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The Missouri State Highway Patrol issued a Blue Alert for a white 2001 Chevrolet Silverado extended cab pickup truck, Missouri license plate 9MGX36, after a Christian County deputy was fatally shot near Highlandville. (Missouri State Highway Patrol Facebook)
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.
