Southwest Missouri community prepares to say goodbye to two fallen deputies
As southwest Missouri reels from the shooting deaths of two Christian County sheriff’s deputies, a grieving community is expected to gather this weekend to honor their lives and sacrifice.
The Christian County Sheriff’s Office announced that services for Deputies Gabriel Ramirez, 30, and Michael Hislope, 40, will begin with a public visitation from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at James River Church, 6100 N. 19th St., in Ozark, Missouri.
A joint funeral service for the deputies is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at the church. Immediately afterward, full law enforcement honors will be rendered for the deputies, followed by a law enforcement procession to Greenlawn Funeral Home, 1700 S. 15th Ave., in Ozark. There will be no graveside service.
Members of the public and law enforcement officials who wish to pay their respects are encouraged to attend.
“The Christian County Sheriff’s Office extends its deepest gratitude for the outpouring of support shown to the Ramirez and Hislope families, our deputies, and the entire Sheriff’s Office during this difficult time,” the sheriff’s office said in a release. “We ask the community to continue keeping the families, friends, and colleagues of Deputies Ramirez and Hislope in their thoughts and prayers.”
The services are scheduled days after the deputies were killed hours apart — Ramirez during a traffic stop and Hislope while trying to help two wounded colleagues in a shootout with the suspect.
Authorities say Richard Dean Bird, 45, fatally shot Ramirez during a traffic stop around 4 p.m. Monday in Highlandville, about 190 miles southeast of Kansas City.
Bird then fled, driving away in his truck, prompting an extensive manhunt that lasted hours. Authorities issued a Blue Alert asking for the public’s help in finding Bird and his truck.
Authorities eventually found him in a wooded area along Missouri 248 near Reeds Spring. Bird allegedly fired as law enforcement officers moved in to arrest him early Tuesday, striking Christian County Deputy Joshua Wahl and Webster County Deputy Austin McCall.
Hislope was fatally wounded as he attempted to help the injured deputies. Law enforcement ultimately rescued the wounded deputies and continued to exchange gunfire with Bird, who was killed in the shootout.
Ramirez was relatively new to the department, joining the Christian County Sheriff’s Office on March 14, 2025. Hislope had more than six years with the sheriff’s office, joining on Oct. 28, 2019. Both were United States Army veterans.
Their deaths were the first known line-of-duty killings in the agency’s history.
The Christian County Deputy Sheriff’s Office Association has established an official fund to help the deputies’ families and is accepting donations via its Venmo account: @ChristianCoDeputySheriffAssoc.
The Christian County 100 Club has also set up a way to donate to a fund on its website. The nonprofit organization provides financial support to the surviving spouses and dependent children of law enforcement, firefighters and EMS workers who have died in the line of duty in Christian County.
