By Robert A. Cronkleton
The Kansas City Star
CHRISTIAN COUNTY, Mo. —A man suspected of killing a Christian County deputy during a traffic stop on Monday involved in a shootout hours later that left a second deputy dead and two others injured, according to law enforcement officials.
Richard Dean Bird, 45, who was also killed in the shootout, allegedly fatally shot Deputy Gabriel Ramirez during a traffic stop Monday afternoon near Highlandville, Missouri. Bird then drove away in a white Chevrolet Silverado extended cab pickup.
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As law enforcement hunted for Bird and his truck, the Missouri Highway Patrol issued a Blue Alert just before 4 p.m., saying Bird was last seen heading south on U.S. 160 from Missouri Route HH in Christian County.
The Stone County Sheriff’s Office posted a message on Facebook saying it was assisting in the search for Bird and urged anyone who saw him or his truck to call 911 immediately.
“He is to be considered armed and dangerous,” the sheriff’s office said in the post. “Again, do not approach.”
Officers found his truck near a roundabout on U.S. 160 near Reeds Spring, Missouri, which is about 210 miles south of Kansas City in southwest Missouri. Officers from across the Ozarks searched a wooded area for Bird.
Hours later, gunfire erupted as deputies moved in, killing the second Christian County Deputy and injuring two other deputies. They have not been identified.
The Stone County Sheriff’s Office updated its post on Facebook that Bird was dead and no longer a threat to the community.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol cancelled the Blue Alert about 1 a.m, saying the suspect was in custody.
Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader, in a video post on Facebook shortly before 4 a.m. Tuesday, asked people to keep the two deputies who were killed, the Christian County Sheriff’s Office and their community, as well as the two deputies who were injured, in their thoughts and prayers.
“This is probably the worst day in the history of the Christian County Sheriff’s Office,” Rader said. “This was a horrible day, but as for law enforcement, we came together as a team from numerous county sheriff’s offices in the area, from police departments in the area, state, and federal agencies that assisted in finally making this come to an end.”
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