Road rage shooting in Temple Hills leaves Metro contractor dead, suspect charged

A late-afternoon driving dispute on Branch Avenue became a deadly warning for anyone who uses Prince George’s County’s crowded commuter roads. Police say a single road-rage encounter in Temple Hills ended with 39-year-old Darian Ragland shot inside his car and left dead in the 4700 block of Branch Avenue.

Prince George’s County police charged 33-year-old Polo Shaw of Upper Marlboro with first-degree murder, second-degree murder and related charges in the April 10 killing. Investigators say Shaw and Ragland did not know each other and that the shooting stemmed from road rage. Shaw was taken into custody with help from the Emergency Services Team and is being held without bond in the custody of the Department of Corrections.

Police said officers responded at about 4:35 p.m. and found Ragland inside his car with a gunshot wound. He died at the scene. Charging documents and surveillance video described a chain of events that began near the Beltway and Auth Road, where Ragland allegedly did not let Shaw merge. The vehicles then continued onto Branch Avenue, where they appeared to pace each other at high speed before Ragland’s car abruptly veered left, crossed the median and struck a barrier wall. Charging documents also say the fatal shot entered through the passenger-side window.

Ragland was a Metro contractor from Brandywine and was reportedly on his way to pick up his 7-year-old daughter when he was killed. His death has sharpened concern about how quickly aggression behind the wheel can turn into a homicide on roads that carry thousands of daily trips through Temple Hills, Suitland Parkway and Forestville Road. Police and prosecutors have described the killing as especially troubling because the victim and suspect had no prior connection.

The case number is 26-0018909, and Shaw is due back in court on May 18. During his first court appearance, Ragland’s mother asked that he be held to protect the community, and a judge ordered him held without bond. Prince George’s police are offering a $25,000 reward for information as detectives continue to build the case around cellphone records, license plate reader data and the video that captured the driving dispute before the shooting.