A manhunt is over after a suspect killed two Christian County deputies and injured two other officers in southwest Missouri.
The suspect – Richard Dean Bird – was shot and killed overnight near Reeds Spring during a shootout with law enforcement.
Bird reportedly killed Gabriel Ramirez, 30, Monday afternoon during a traffic stop in Highlandville. The identity of the second Christian County deputy killed has not yet been released.
The shooting death of Ramirez activated a Blue Alert to let the public know that Bird, 45, fled the scene and was on the loose.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol used a helicopter and heat mapping to find the suspect hours later in a wooded area. That’s when a standoff and shootout with law enforcement unfolded.
Two more deputies, one from Christian County and one from Webster County, are believed to have non-life-threatening injuries from the gunfight.
Missouri’s top law enforcement officer, Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, responded to the thin blue line becoming even thinner today.
“This morning, our hearts are heavy. Two brave Christian County deputies were killed and two more were injured in the line of duty. We pray for these officers, the families grieving this tragedy, and the brothers and sisters in blue who served alongside them. We stand firmly behind the heroes who put their lives on the line to protect our state every day,” she said.
The investigation continues into the shootings.
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