Family of man shot during Columbia road-rage incident files complaint against police

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The family of a man who was shot and killed during a 2025 road-rage incident says they have filed a complaint against police for their alleged response.

Derek Gonzalez, 32, of Columbia, died at a hospital after he was shot on May 18, 2025, at the McDonald’s on Nifong Boulevard.

Gonzalez’s family had openly questioned the response by the Columbia Police Department in December. The family said on Tuesday that they filed a complaint with the Citizens Police Review Board on Thursday.

The family claimed police were too slow in giving emergency medical aid to Gonzalez after he was shot.

Police previous said Gonzalez and Ryan Woods “encountered each other in traffic” and pulled into the McDonald’s parking lot before firing at each other. A passenger of Gonzalez was also injured in the shooting.

Boone County Prosecutor Roger Johnson determined no charges would be filed against Woods in September, claiming his actions were justified as self-defense.

The family says they were contacted by police and the complaint is under review.