The mournful tones of a lone bagpiper rose above the otherwise quiet square in Ozark Tuesday morning, as the city, county and state mourned the loss of two Christian County Sheriff's deputies, killed in an incident that evolved into a manhunt and shootout Monday. The thoughts of many in the community were with the families and loved ones of the officers lost, as well as with two officers injured in the fray.
Outside the Christian County courthouse, two Sheriff's department cruisers were parked in honor of the slain officers. They piled with flowers as mourners passed by.
Christian County Sherriff Brad Cole, flanked by local Sheriffs, Highway Patrol and Governor Mike Kehoe, gave a press conference Tuesday afternoon.
Sherriff Cole said Christian County Deputy Joshua Wahl sustained a debilitating gunshot wound to the leg. Webster County Deputy Austin McCall sustained four gunshot wounds. Sherriff Cole said both were in stable condition. Christian County Deputies Gabriel Ramirez and Michael Hislope, both died in the line of duty Monday.
Cole said the manhunt began after a traffic stop turned fatal for Deputy Ramirez. The suspect, Richard Bird, was recently out on bail. His bond statement says for charges related to resisting arrest and stolen property.
The suspect fled the scene of Ramirez's death. Cole described what followed as a nine-hour manhunt, ultimately ending in a wooded area off Highway 248 near Reeds Spring.
Cole estimated 150 or more law enforcement agents were activated. They utilized drones and aircraft from the Missouri State Highway Patrol. He said around 11:30 Monday night they received a tip the suspect was sighted. They used this technology to find his heat signature and located the subject from the air. Cole said officers started receiving rifle fire immediately upon making contact with the suspect. Deputies Wahl and McCall were injured in the initial fire.
"Responding law enforcement could not reach the injured deputies," Cole explained, His words weighed with grief, "at that time due to continued gunfire from the suspect. After taking multiple rounds of gunfire from the suspect, law enforcement was eventually able to rescue the injured deputies. During that time, Christian County Deputy Michael Hyslop suffered a fatal gunshot wound."
Cole said officers continued to move in, securing the safety of the downed officers and, eventually, in his words "eliminating the threat." An investigation of the scene is ongoing.
Sheriff Cole said he and his office are focused on funerals for the officers, supporting the loved ones they've left behind and supporting each other as a law enforcement community dealing with the loss of two of their own. He said funeral details will be made available at a later date. He said those wanting to give to the families through a trustworthy source could give to the Christian County Deputy Sheriff's Association.
The Sherriff thanked over a dozen law enforcement agencies that responded to the incident, including a number of local county and city departments, the US Marshal Service, the ATF, FBI, and Missouri State Highway Patrol and Park Rangers.
Gov. Mike Kehoe, speaking after Sherrif Cole, lauded the cross-agency cooperation that helped find the suspect, and in his words serve justice. He also spoke to statewide support for the families of fallen officers, including from others who've experienced a similar loss.
"We have Mason Griffiths family here from up in Gasconade in Crawford County," Kehoe said. "(She) lost her husband in the line of duty just a few years back. And the first people I see at the hospital have traveled all the way down here to be with the families of these officers, so I appreciate them. But that's what Missouri is. We have each other's back."
And, much has been made of the suspect's criminal history, and blame has been cast at the Stone County judge that most recently let him out on bail.
In a Facebook post Tuesday, the Stone County Sheriff's office defended its county judges. They claim the suspect's bond, of $50,000, for recent charges of property crime was "very high." They say the average bond would be 5 to 10 thousand. They also say the Missouri Supreme Court has put limitations on judges setting high bonds.
Missouri court documents show the suspect was charged with a number of recent traffic violations, and accusations of theft, burglary, trespassing and narcotics possession, mostly in Stone County.
Kansas court documents show he spent time incarcerated in the Ellsworth Correctional Facility from 2016 to 2021. He was convicted on charges, stemming from a 2014 incident, of aggravated battery, Criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied vehicle, fleeing or attempt to elude a law enforcement officer, possession of opiates, opium, narcotic drugs or designated stimulants and interference with law enforcement by resisting.
That's what the suspect was convicted of in a plea deal in 2016. His initial charges included aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer, but that charge was reduced in court.
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