Mo. Deputy Killed while Helping Injured Officers During Shootout
What to know
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Two Christian County sheriff’s deputies — Gabriel Ramirez, 30, and Michael Hislope, 40 — were fatally shot during separate but related encounters with a suspect, while two additional deputies were wounded and are recovering in stable condition after surgery.
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Authorities said Ramirez was killed during a traffic stop in Highlandville, and hours later the suspect opened fire on officers in Stone County, wounding Deputy Joshua Wahl and Webster County Sheriff's Deputy Austin McCall before Hislope was fatally shot while attempting to aid the injured deputies.
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The suspect, who killed in the shootout, was out on bond on burglary-related charges and had a lengthy criminal history in Missouri and Kansas.
At the time of initial deputy’s fatal shooting Monday and subsequent manhunt, Bird was out on $50,000 bond related to a new offense he’s accused of, according to an online Missouri court database.
In recent days, he was served with an arrest warrant in relation to a burglary involving a missing antique safe with a collection of uncirculated coins inside, records show.
A probable cause affidavit was filed in that case Monday — the same day Ramirez was shot — according to the online database. Bird had been charged with second-degree burglary, stealing of $750 or more and tampering with physical evidence in connection with an incident that occurred Feb. 15.
Conditions of the bond included Bird could not enter the victim’s premises or have any contact with the victim. Other conditions included that he “not tamper with victim or witness in the case, directly or through a 3rd party” and not possess or consume alcohol or illegal drugs and he “shall not possess firearms” and “shall not commit any new offenses.”
The warrant for his arrest was dated Feb. 21, which was Saturday.
Bird has a lengthy criminal history in both Missouri and Kansas, online court records from each state show.
Criminal record in Kansas City area
In September 2014, Bird was arrested and charged for allegedly firing shots at a Johnson County, Kansas, sheriff’s deputy investigating a theft at a construction site at 191st Street and State Line Road. At the time, Bird lived in Belton.
According to an article in The Star after his arrest, Bird was accused of firing “multiple shots from a rifle at the deputy, who was not hit.”
At that time, he was charged with attempted first-degree murder and theft and his bond initially was set at $1 million.
In the end, Bird pleaded guilty to lesser charges and was sentenced in 2016 on five counts stemming from that September 2014 incident.
He was last released from the Kansas Department of Corrections in April 2023, online records from that agency said.
Less than a year later, he was charged in Taney County, Missouri, with second-degree burglary and first-degree trespassing. He was accused of “forcibly entering an inhabitable structure” in March 2024 and “was found with gloves, a flashlight, and a knife,” court records show.
At that time, a probable cause statement describing the charges against him said he was a “danger to the community or to any other person.”
“Richard has been convicted of Burglary and Receiving Stolen Property (03/19/2003), Tampering (02/10/20114), Stealing MV (08/09/2021), Tampering (10/06/2022), and Theft out of Kansas (05/31/2016),” the affidavit said. “There are reasonable grounds to believe that the defendant will not appear upon a summons because: Richard has had numerous charges for fleeing/resisting as well as a probation violation.”
Later in 2024, he was sentenced to a fine of $200 and court costs on each of the two new counts.
The Star’s Robert A. Cronkleton contributed reporting.
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