WakeMed Campus Police Officer Roger Smith shot dead by Benji Martin Jr responding to disturbance at medical facility involving gunman.
A campus police officer was shot and killed Saturday morning at the WakeMed Garner Healthplex after responding to an incident involving an armed individual at the North Carolina medical facility in Wake County.
WakeMed Campus Police Officer Roger Smith, 59, was killed in the line of duty in the emergency department lobby of WakeMed Garner Healthplex just on 9 a.m, Saturday, November 8.
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WakeMed staff said Officer Smith was shot after responding to a ‘disturbance’ at the lobby of the emergency department of the hospital in which he was involved in a ‘struggle’ with the suspect. Despite immediate life-saving efforts by medical staff, he succumbed to his injuries, ABC11 reported.
Benji Martin Jr., 29, of Garner, NC, who was identified as the suspect gunman was shot after engaging in a shootout with officers with the Garner Police Department. The suspect was shot and suffered a non-life-threatening injury.
Roger Smith, who was posted at the hospital on the day of the shooting, was the first person to respond to the emergency at the hospital on Saturday morning. The Garner Police Department said in the statement that when officers with the department arrived at the scene, they found Officer Smith dead with gunshot wounds.
Garner Police Department said that Martin Jr is currently is custody and is being kept under medical supervision at the hospital as he recovers from the ongoing injury woes.
Martin Jr., now faces one count of murder. Not immediately clear is what led to the gunman targeting the medical facility. Upon release, Martin Jr, will be taken to the Wake County Detention Center.
Officer Roger Smith, 59, WakeMed campus police officer shot and killed Sat morning at WakeMed Garner Healthplex emergency department lobby after a “struggle.” Worked for Knightdale PD 1997-2013. With WakeMed 10+ years.
Benji Martin Jr of Garner charged murder.
#NorthCarolina pic.twitter.com/Pc7F5RcfWI— The Last Show- Karen Lee (@thelastshow) November 9, 2025
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Garner Police Chief Chris Adams described the incident as a ‘heartbreaking and senseless act of violence.’
A procession for Smith, involving 60 to 100 law enforcement and fire vehicles, was held from WakeMed to the N.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Raleigh.
The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is assisting Garner Police in the ongoing investigation to determine the events leading up to the shooting.
The WakeMed Garner Healthplex is in the 400 block of U.S. Highway 70 in Garner, a Wake County town five miles south of Raleigh. The facility has an emergency department with 12 private treatment rooms. WakeMed’s trauma centers are located in Raleigh and Cary.
Smith, a 10-year veteran of WakeMed’s public safety team and a former Knightdale police officer from 1997-2013, was remembered as a dedicated protector who prioritized the safety of others according to The News & Observer.
Medical personnel at the scene said Officer Smith was a hero whose actions likely prevented more deaths.
