A WakeMed campus police officer was shot and killed Saturday morning in the emergency department lobby of a North Carolina hospital, with a suspect now charged with murder in connection with the deadly encounter.
Officer Roger Smith, 59 years old, was working at the WakeMed Garner Healthplex in Garner, just outside Raleigh, when the incident occurred around 9 a.m. on November 8, 2025. According to WakeMed officials, Smith was shot after a struggle ensued in the emergency department lobby. Despite immediate life-saving efforts by medical staff, he died from his injuries.
Garner police charged Benji Martin Jr., 29, of Garner, with murder in Smith’s death. The suspect was also shot during the struggle and remains hospitalized with a gunshot wound. Martin is currently in custody under medical supervision and will be transported to the Wake County Detention Center upon his release from the hospital.
Garner Police Chief Chris Adams addressed the deadly shooting in a statement released Saturday afternoon. “This is a heartbreaking and senseless act of violence,” Adams said. “Officer Smith dedicated his career to protecting others, and even in his final moments, he put the safety of others before his own.”
Medical personnel at the scene described Smith as a hero whose actions likely prevented further loss of life during the emergency department incident. WakeMed officials expressed enormous gratitude to the Garner Healthplex emergency department staff for their heroic and quick response to the incident.
Smith had worked in public safety for WakeMed for 14 years, sources indicate. Before joining the hospital’s campus police department, he served with the Knightdale Police Department from 1997 to 2013, according to reports. The Knightdale resident was remembered by his former department as a local hero.
Gov. Josh Stein posted on social media about the shooting on Saturday. “My heart goes out to the family of Officer Roger Smith, who was killed protecting patients and their families,” the governor wrote. “Law enforcement officers put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe, and we are forever grateful for Officer Smith’s sacrifice. Please pray for his family and the entire WakeMed community in their time of need.”
A procession for Smith was held Saturday afternoon, starting at WakeMed and traveling along New Bern Avenue to the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Raleigh. Between 60 and 100 law enforcement and fire vehicles participated in the procession, according to the Wake County Sheriff’s Office.
The State Bureau of Investigation was called in to assist with the shooting involving a police officer, as is standard with police-related shootings. The Garner Police Department is conducting a separate investigation centered around the incident and what led up to the struggle in the hospital lobby.
WakeMed leadership remained on-site, working with the State Bureau of Investigation and the Garner Police Department throughout Saturday. The Garner Healthplex emergency department lobby remained inaccessible for several hours following the shooting.
Additional staff and counselors were brought on-site to support the Garner emergency department and campus police teams following the deadly encounter. The WakeMed family came together to respond to and process what hospital officials called an immensely difficult event.
The Raleigh Police Department extended its deepest condolences to Smith’s family, friends and colleagues, standing with their brothers and sisters in blue at the WakeMed Police Department during what they described as a heartbreaking time. Law enforcement agencies throughout the region expressed support for Smith’s family and the entire WakeMed community.
The investigation into what prompted the struggle and shooting in the emergency department lobby remains ongoing. Authorities have not released details about what led Martin to the hospital or what precipitated the deadly encounter with Officer Smith.
