Repeat offender Richard Dean Bird kills Missouri deputies in shooting: police

A violent repeat offender with a documented history of shooting at law enforcement and riding bikes has made arrests across two states. Two Missouri representatives Before police shot him dead, authorities said.

Richard Dean Byrd, 45, had a criminal record spanning more than a decade in Kansas and Missouri before Monday’s fatal encounter in Christian County, officials and court records show.

Byrd was killed after a 30-minute shootout with deputies after authorities said he Deputy Gabriel Ramirez was shot and killed30, during a traffic stop south of Highlandville just after 4 p.m. Monday. Deputy Michael Hislop, 40, was later killed during the overnight pursuit, according to Christian County Sheriff Brad Cole.

Court and booking records show Byrd was arrested in Stone County, Missouri on February 20, 2026, just days before the shooting. He was booked on charges of second-degree burglary, unlawful possession of a firearm and theft of property valued at $750 or more, according to Stone County Jail records.

A booking photo of Richard Dean Byrd, identified by authorities as the suspect in the fatal shooting of two Christian County deputies in southwest Missouri. (Missouri State Highway Patrol on Facebook)

According to court records Quoted from the New York Times, Byrd was also recently charged with receiving stolen property. In that case, police found him in possession of collectible coins, including Indian pennies worth an estimated $2,000, that were inside a safe that had been reported stolen. Officers also discovered documents he allegedly attempted to burn, according to the warrant. Bird posted a $50,000 bond on Friday, the Times reported.

The violent bird record dates back to 2014.

In September of that year, he was arrested after firing several shots from a rifle at a Johnson County, Kansas, sheriff’s deputy investigating a robbery at a construction site near 191st Street and State Line Road, according to To the Kansas City Star.

The newspaper reported that Byrd fired “several shots from a rifle at the deputy, who was not injured.” He was initially charged with attempted murder and first-degree robbery, and his bail was set at $1 million.

Byrd later pleaded guilty to reduced charges and was sentenced in 2016 to five charges stemming from that case, according to court records. Kansas Department of Corrections records show he was released in April 2023.

Court files over the years show Byrd faced multiple additional charges, including burglary, tampering, trespassing, theft and unlawful possession of a firearm.

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Police said Richard Dean Byrd had a long criminal history before he killed two deputies. (Missouri State Highway Patrol)

During a news conference Tuesday, Sheriff Cole confirmed that Byrd has a “lengthy” criminal record and has been arrested several times previously.

The initial traffic stop that led to the deputies’ deaths occurred just after 4 p.m. Monday, officials said. The authorities did not reveal the reason for the suspension.

Cole said Deputy Ramirez was killed during the initial confrontation.

The bird escaped, leading to A. being shot Massive manhunt Nearly 150 officers from local, state and federal agencies participated, including the FBI, US Marshals and ATF.

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The Missouri State Highway Patrol issued a Blue Alert for a 2001 white Chevrolet Silverado Extended Cab pickup truck, Missouri license plate 9MGX36, after a Christian County deputy was shot and killed near Highlandville. (Missouri State Highway Patrol on Facebook)

Early Tuesday morning, deputies tracked Byrd to a wooded area near Reeds Spring. Cole said officers tried to make contact but “received no response other than shooting at us.”

Deputy Hislop was killed during the exchange. Deputies Josh Wahl and Austin McCall were injured but are recovering from injuries not considered life-threatening.

Authorities said Byrd was shot and killed during the shootout.

The loss shook the Christian County Sheriff’s Office, which has about 30 patrol officers and about 140 employees overall, according to Kathy Thiemich, the agency’s executive director who spoke to the New York Times. Thimmich told the outlet that she was not aware that another officer from the department had been killed in the line of duty.

In a Facebook post, Cole paid tribute to Fallen representatives.

“It is with great sadness that we mourn the loss of two of our own — Rep. Gabriel Ramirez and Rep. Michael Hislop — who gave their lives in the line of duty,” Cole wrote.

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Christian County Sheriff’s Office deputies Gabriel Ramirez and Michael Hislop were killed during a deadly standoff in southwest Missouri. Authorities said the suspect was killed after a chase and gun battle in a wooded area near Highlandville. (Christian County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook)

Ramirez joined the department on March 14, 2025, and although his time with the agency was short, Cole said his “commitment to serving others and protecting this community was evident from the beginning.”

Hislop has served since Oct. 28, 2019, and Cole described him as a “dedicated deputy, a trusted colleague, and a valued member of the Sheriff’s Office family.”

“These men answered the call to service and put the safety of others before their own, including serving our nation in the U.S. military,” Cole wrote. “Their courage, sacrifice and unwavering commitment to Christian County will never be forgotten.”

The issue also sparked reactions from national and state leaders.

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Senator Josh Hawley, Republican of Missouri, condemned the killings and pointed to Byrd’s criminal history.

“Two heroic representatives in my home state of Missouri were senselessly murdered by a thug with a long history of violence toward law enforcement,” Hawley said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “We need accountability for these crime-reducing policies that are devastating our communities.”

Joe Gamaldi, national vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police, called the killings “horrible news out of Missouri” and urged Americans to keep the deputies’ families in their thoughts and prayers as they face “unimaginable grief.”

“History will not be kind to our nation for its treatment of our mother-in-law…Disgusting!” Gamaldi wrote.

Conservative social media account Libs of TikTok called Byrd a “career criminal” and questioned how someone with such a lengthy record could get back on the streets. In a post on

Missouri leaders also weighed in and honored the fallen officers.

Representative Eric Burleson honored the fallen representatives on the House floor, noting that both were U.S. Army veterans who “continued their service as representatives in southwest Missouri.”

“We remember their sacrifices and Pray for their families“And my fellow officers and the entire law enforcement community,” Burleson said.

Missouri Republican Senator Eric Schmitt called the incident a “devastating loss for Christian County.”

“As local law enforcement works to bring the suspect to justice, my prayers are with the deputy’s loved ones and those who served alongside him to keep Missourians safe,” Schmidt wrote on X.

The FBI also issued a statement offering its condolences to the deputies’ families and colleagues, noting that Ramirez served nearly a year in the department and Hislop more than six years.

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Missouri officials described the killings as a huge loss to the state’s law enforcement community.

Sheriff Cole called it one of the “darkest days” in county history and said the department’s focus now is planning two funerals and supporting the injured deputies.

Stephenie Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and immigrant crimes. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.

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