WakeMed Officer Roger Smith Fatally Shot by Suspect Benji Martin Jr. During Armed Disturbance in Garner, North Carolina

Pop Pulse November 10, 2025

 

Garner, North Carolina — A WakeMed campus police officer was shot and killed Saturday morning while responding to a disturbance involving an armed individual at the WakeMed Garner Healthplex emergency department, authorities said.

Officer Roger Smith, 59, was stationed at the facility when an incident unfolded just before 9 a.m. in the emergency lobby. According to WakeMed staff, Smith became engaged in a physical struggle with the suspect, during which he was shot. Medical personnel immediately attempted life-saving measures, but Smith succumbed to his injuries.

When officers from the Garner Police Department arrived, they found Smith already gravely wounded.

The suspected gunman was later identified as Benji Martin Jr., 29, of Garner. During a subsequent exchange of gunfire with police, Martin was shot and sustained injuries described as non-life-threatening. He is currently hospitalized under supervision.

Martin faces a charge of murder, and authorities say he will be transferred to the Wake County Detention Center once medically cleared. Investigators have not yet released details regarding the motive or events that led to the confrontation.

Officer Smith served 10 years with WakeMed’s campus police and previously worked with the Knightdale Police Department from 1997 to 2013. Colleagues and medical staff described him as a dedicated protector who prioritized the safety of patients and caregivers.

Garner Police Chief Chris Adams called the killing a “heartbreaking and senseless act of violence.”

A procession of 60 to 100 law enforcement and fire vehicles escorted Smith’s body to the N.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Raleigh.

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is assisting in the ongoing investigation to determine what led to the shooting.

 

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