Benjamin Bob Friend, a 37-year-old man, was fatally shot in what authorities have described as a possible road rage incident on the afternoon of October 18, 2016, in Belton, Missouri. The shooting occurred near the intersection of Prospect Avenue and Missouri 150.
Following the incident, law enforcement identified a person of interest and took a man into custody. That individual was later identified as 30-year-old Tajudeen Belo Osagie of Kansas City.
Osagie was subsequently charged with unlawful possession of a weapon. According to statements made to the police, Osagie claimed that the encounter began with the other driver, later identified as Friend, chasing his vehicle and running him off the road. Osagie stated that he fired his weapon after he saw Friend pointing a pistol at him. Investigators did find a loaded handgun in the work van that Friend had been driving at the time of the shooting.
Belton police had been searching for a suspect who was reportedly driving a small red sports coupe with black rims, tinted windows, and a loud exhaust at the time of the incident. Following the investigation, the case was presented to prosecutors. However, no murder charges were filed against Osagie in connection with the death of Benjamin Friend. The authorities determined that there was not enough evidence to disprove Osagie's claim of self-defense. The ultimate legal outcome of the weapons charge against Osagie is not detailed in the available online sources.
