Christian County Shooting Suspect Had Been Released on Bond Days Before Killings
The man who killed two Christian County deputies on Feb. 23 had been released on bond five days earlier, and funerals for the officers are set for Feb. 28, a development that has focused attention on the suspect’s recent release in Stone County.
Christian County Shooting: how the violence unfolded
The violence began around 3: 50 p. m. ET on Feb. 23 when 45-year-old Richard Dean Bird shot and killed Deputy Gabriel Ramirez during a traffic stop, Christian County Sheriff Brad Cole said; Ramirez was 30 years old. Bird fled the scene, triggering a massive multi-agency manhunt across southwest Missouri. Hours later, as officers closed in on Bird in rural Stone County, he opened fire again, killing Deputy Michael Hislope, 40, and wounding two other officers — a third Christian County deputy and a Webster County deputy. Bird was killed in a shootout with law enforcement.
Suspect’s recent release and criminal history
Five days before the christian county shooting, Bird faced Stone County charges of second-degree burglary and stealing and tampering with physical evidence and was released on a $50, 000 bond. Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader said the judge was following the law in setting bail and called $50, 000 a relatively high bond for property crimes, noting a typical range of $5, 000 to $10, 000 for similar cases.
Bird’s record included a 2014 charge of attempted first-degree murder for allegedly shooting at deputies who were responding to a theft at a construction site; that case was resolved with a plea deal that reduced charges to aggravated battery — intentional, great bodily harm — along with fleeing, interfering and firearm possession counts.
Funerals planned in Ozark on Feb. 28
Thousands of mourners are expected at James River Church on Saturday, Feb. 28, for the funerals of Deputies Gabriel Ramirez and Michael Hislope. Coverage is scheduled to begin at noon ET, with the funeral service set to start at 1 p. m. ET and a procession through downtown Ozark to follow. Organizers have said the service will include a procession from the church through downtown Ozark after the ceremony begins at 1 p. m. ET.
The Feb. 23 shootings left two law enforcement officers dead and two others wounded, and prompted a wide law enforcement response across southwest Missouri as agencies searched for and later engaged Bird in rural Stone County. Sheriff Brad Cole identified Ramirez as the deputy killed during the initial traffic stop, and Hislope as the deputy killed later during the pursuit and exchange of gunfire.
Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader responded to social media backlash over the bond decision by saying the court followed bail rules that require judges to set bail only when necessary and not higher than required to ensure public safety and court appearances. Rader also said, "You can blame the MO Supreme Court or you can blame the bonding company that bonded them, " and added, "At the end of the day it comes down to a deranged man that took two heroes’ lives. "
Funeral services for Deputies Ramirez and Hislope remain scheduled for Feb. 28 at James River Church, with initial coverage beginning at noon ET and the formal service beginning at 1 p. m. ET; a procession through downtown Ozark will follow the service.
