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A suspect has been detained in connection with the tragic shooting of a Missouri deputy, authorities announced on Tuesday.
Early Tuesday morning, Richard Dean Bird, aged 45, was captured following the deadly incident involving a deputy from Christian County, which occurred shortly before 4 p.m. on Monday, according to a statement by the Missouri State Highway Patrol on social media.
The shooting sparked a manhunt for Bird, who was deemed armed and dangerous by the authorities.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol provided a description of Bird, noting he is a bald Caucasian male with brown eyes, approximately 5 feet 6 inches tall, and weighing around 145 pounds.
Richard Dean Bird, 45, was taken into custody after the fatal shooting of a Christian County deputy, as reported by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The suspect vehicle was earlier identified as a white 2001 Chevrolet Silverado extended cab pickup truck with Missouri license plate 9MGX36.
The truck was seen in the area of the shooting and was later reported traveling southbound on U.S. Route 160 from Route HH in Christian County. U.S. 160 runs south through southern Missouri and crosses into north-central Arkansas east of Harrison.
“Truck has been located,” the Stone County Sheriff’s Office, which assisted in the search, wrote Monday night on X.
Several lawmakers earlier reacted to the death of the deputy.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol issued a Blue Alert for a white 2001 Chevrolet Silverado extended cab pickup truck, Missouri license plate 9MGX36, after a Christian County deputy was fatally shot near Highlandville. (Missouri State Highway Patrol Facebook)
“A deputy in my home county was shot and killed today. Erin and I are praying for his family. May justice be swift,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., said the incident was “a devastating loss in Christian County.”
“As local law enforcement works to bring the suspect to justice, my prayers are with the deputy’s loved ones and those who served shoulder to shoulder with him to keep Missouri safe,” Schmitt wrote on X.
Missouri State Rep. Jamie Ray Gragg said on Facebook: “My heart is broken for our deputy’s family. While they understood that this profession carries risk, senseless acts like this are beyond comprehension.”
Missouri State Highway Patrol described the suspect as a bald white man with brown eyes who stands at about 5’6″ and about 145 pounds. (Jordyn Noennig / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY Network / USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images)
Blue Alerts like the one initially issued in this case, are similar to Amber Alerts in that they are designed to quickly notify the public. However, a Blue Alert is issued when a suspect is believed to have seriously injured or killed a law enforcement officer and may pose an ongoing threat.
“Blue Alert cancelled. Suspect in custody,” the Missouri State Highway Patrol said on X early Tuesday.
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