UPDATE, Feb. 24, 12:45 p.m. | On Tuesday, the Christian County Sheriff's Office shared the identities of both officers killed in the line of duty Monday.
Deputy Gabriel Ramirez, 30, was shot and killed in the initial incident. He joined the Christian County Sheriff's Office in March 2025.
Deputy Michael Hislope, 40, was also killed Monday. He served the Christian County community since October 2019.
"These men answered the call to serve, putting the safety of others before their own, including serving our nation in the U.S. Army," Sheriff Brad Cole said in a social media post Tuesday. "Their courage, sacrifice and unwavering commitment to Christian County will never be forgotten."
UPDATE, Feb. 24, 6:15 a.m. | The Christian County Sheriff's Office says Richard Dean Bird, the man suspected of killing two deputies and injuring two others, was killed in a shootout.
Bird fled to a wooded area, and as law enforcement closed in on him, he reportedly opened fire.
One deputy from Christian County was shot and killed, another Christian County deputy suffered non-life-threatening injuries, and a Webster County deputy suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Bird reportedly continued firing on law enforcement, who returned fire. Bird was killed.
The Christian County deputy who was shot and killed in the initial incident has been identified as Gabriel Ramirez.
UPDATE, Feb. 24, 1:15 a.m. | The Missouri State Highway Patrol says the Blue Alert has been canceled.
ORIGINAL STORY | A Blue Alert was issued Monday for Richard Dean Bird, 45, the suspect wanted in the deadly shooting of a Christian County, Missouri, sheriff's deputy.
Bird is 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs 145 pounds, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The name of the deputy has not yet been released.
No information has been released about what led to the deadly encounter between Bird and the deputy.
Christian County, Missouri, is located about an hour south of Springfield, Missouri. It's not clear if there is any immediate connection to the Kansas City area, though Kansas City-area residents reported receiving an alert on their cell phones around 4:30 p.m. Monday.
The Stone County Sheriff's Department reported Monday night on its Facebook page the pickup truck Bird was driving was found abandoned.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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