2 Missouri deputies fatally shot, 2 injured as suspect opens fire: Sheriff
A suspect allegedly opened fire on Monday on a deputy sheriff during a traffic stop in Missouri, killing him before escaping and leading law enforcement on a nine-hour manhunt that ended with him dying in a gunfight with officers, authorities said.
The suspect, Richard Bird, 45, was tracked to a wooded area, where he allegedly opened fire on officers again, killing a second deputy who was trying to help rescue two officers who had been wounded by the suspect's gunfire, Christian County Sheriff Brad Cole said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
Cole identified the two fallen Christian County Sheriff's deputies as Gabriel Ramirez, 30, and Deputy Michael Hislope, 40.
Cole said both deputies had served in the U.S. Army before joining the sheriff's office. Hislope had been a member of the sheriff's office since October 2019, while Ramirez joined the agency in March 2025, Cole said.
"These men answered the call to serve, putting the safety of others before their own, including serving our nation in the U.S. Army. Their courage, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to Christian County will never be forgotten," Cole said in a statement earlier Tuesday.
The violence unfolded just before 4 p.m. on Monday, when a 911 caller reported seeing a deputy down on a roadway near Highlandville in Christian County, Cole said.
"At 4:05 p.m., responding deputies arrived and found Deputy Gabriel Ramirez fatally shot, lying in the roadway," Cole said.
Cole said Ramirez was allegedly shot by Bird during a traffic stop. He said it remains unclear why the traffic stop was initiated.
Within minutes, a possible suspect vehicle was identified, Cole said. He said multiple deputies responded to an address near Galina in neighboring Stone County that was linked to the vehicle.
He said Bird was identified through criminal records and a booking photo taken of him from a previous arrest in Stone County on Feb. 16 was released to law enforcement officers searching for him.
Cole said Bird's vehicle was located abandoned near a highway in Reed Springs, Stone County. After searching the area for roughly nine hours, officers received a report that the suspect was spotted in a nearby wooded area.
Around 11:30 p.m., a Missouri Highway Patrol helicopter located a heat source in the woods, which was then identified as the suspect, Cole said.
As officers from multiple agencies converged on the wooded area, they allegedly started taking gunfire from the suspect, Cole said.
He said Webster County Sheriff's Deputy Austin McCall and Christian County Sheriff's Deputy Josh Wahl both sustained gunshot wounds, but other officers could not immediately reach the deputies due to the suspect shooting at them.
Cole said Hislope was eventually among the officers who attempted to rescue the wounded deputies.
"During that time, Christian County Deputy Michael Hislope suffered a fatal gunshot wound while he was attempting to reach and rescue the downed deputies," Cole said.
After being rescued, Wahl and McCall were taken to a hospital, initially with life-threatening injuries, Cole said. The sheriff said the deputies remained hospitalized on Tuesday, both in stable condition.
Cole said law enforcement officers used an armored vehicle to approach the suspect, who allegedly kept firing at them.
"At that time, multiple law enforcement officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect and ultimately eliminated the threat," Cole said.
A motive for the shooting remains under investigation.
