In a Baltimore City Circuit Court hearing before Judge Martin P. Welch on June 8, 64-year-old Reginald Benbow accepted a plea deal for shooting a family friend.
The defendant was found mentally incompetent to stand trial based on previous proceedings that took place in Baltimore City’s mental health court. To stand trial, a suspect must understand the charges against him and be able to help his attorney.
Benbow was charged with firearm possession with a felony conviction for which he received eight years, suspending all but the 843 days he already served and given three years probation.
Three additional firearm possession and felony convictions were dismissed as part of his plea, as well as the possession of illegal ammunition and firing a gun in Baltimore City
According to charging documents, the non-fatal shooting took place on Feb. 16, 2024. Benbow’s mother notified him that a family friend would be coming over to retrieve mail wrongly delivered to their address. She stated that while she was cooking, she heard a disturbance at the front door and assumed the victim and her son were play-fighting until she heard a loud noise similar to a gunshot. She then saw the victim on the ground and her son distancing himself from the scene.
No further proceedings are scheduled in the case
