2 Missouri sheriff's deputies fatally shot, 2 others wounded, authorities say

A man with a long criminal history fatally shot a Missouri sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop and then killed a second deputy in a gunbattle hours later as the deputy tried to save two wounded officers, authorities said Tuesday.

“We will be honoring them for a lifetime,” Christian County Sheriff Brad Cole said at a news conference in praise of the slain men.

Cole said the suspect, 45-year-old Richard Dean Bird, also was killed. Bird’s death came just after hours after he was charged in a burglary case — the latest in a string of criminal misconduct cases that included a conviction for shooting at Kansas law enforcement more than a decade ago.

Cole said it all started just before 4 p.m. Monday with a traffic stop south of Highlandville in southwest Missouri. He said Deputy Gabriel Ramirez was found dead in the roadway afterward.

More than 100 deputies, state troopers, U.S. Marshals and agents from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives searched for hours after Bird's pickup truck was found about 15 miles (24 kilometers) away, near the Stone County town of Reeds Spring.

Around 11:30 p.m., deputies approached a heat signature detected in the woods and Bird began shooting. Cole said Christian County Deputy Josh Wahl was struck in the leg, and Webster County Deputy Austin McCall sustained four gunshot wounds.

While attempting to reach the wounded men, Christian County Deputy Michael Hislope was killed.

“It’s important to understand that when situations like this occur, it is very difficult for us to stand back and not try to go rescue our people,” Cole said.

Cole estimated that the gunfire lasted for more than 30 minutes. He said law enforcement ultimately used an armored vehicle to approach Bird as he continued to fire upon them and killed him.

Wahl and McCall were rushed to a hospital and are recovering in stable condition after undergoing surgery, Cole said.

Bird had a long criminal history dating back more than a decade.

In 2014, he was charged with attempted first-degree murder and theft in the Kansas City suburb of Johnson County, Kansas, after firing a gun during a law enforcement chase. He was sentenced to eight years in prison after agreeing to a deal in which he pleaded no contest to charges that included battery against a law enforcement officer and fleeing or attempting to allude police.

The prosecutor’s office didn’t comment about the case other than to stress that no one was killed during that incident.

Missouri court records show that issues continued after he was released. He wracked up convictions for driving with a revoked license, misdemeanor stealing and tampering with a motor vehicle.

Then, last week, deputies in nearby Stone County tracked a stolen four-wheel off-road vehicle, often called a side-by-side, to a single-wide trailer where Bird was living. A search of the property unearthed drugs and other stolen property, including a manhole cover.

After being charged with receiving stolen property and possession of a controlled substance, Bird posted bond Friday. A Stone County deputy described him in an affidavit as a “danger to the public,” noting his extensive criminal history.

Then coins found during the search were traced back to an earlier theft of an antique safe, court records show.

Bird was charged Monday with a fresh round of charges, including burglary, stealing and tampering with physical evidence. A warrant was issued.

Cole said he wasn’t certain of the reason for the initial traffic stop and didn’t know whether Bird knew about the warrant.

“If he had known about that, it could have played a role in the factors of what happened, but I don’t want to speculate on that,” Cole said.

Cole said funeral plans are underway and that he has ordered mourning badges to honor Ramirez, who was 30, and Hislope, who was 40. He described both as Army veterans who saw combat overseas.

“Our community," said Gov. Mike Kehoe, who joined Cole at the news conference, "should be thankful that we have people that run in when everybody else is running away.”