Man arrested on murder charge in WakeMed police officer’s shooting death
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- A Garner man was charged with murder Friday in a WakeMed officer’s death.
- Benji Martin Jr., 29, was also injured in the shooting.
- Martin’s loved ones have raised doubts about the narrative surrounding the incident.
A Garner man was charged with murder Friday in the shooting death of a WakeMed police officer this month.
Benji Martin Jr., 29, who was also shot in the Nov. 8 incident, was released from the hospital and was being processed at the Wake County jail Friday afternoon, according to a Garner Police Department news release.
He’s accused of fatally shooting Roger Smith, 59, during a struggle in the WakeMed Garner Healthplex’s emergency department.
Officials have released few details in the weeks since the incident, and many of Martin’s loved ones have spoken out to say they believe he has been wrongly accused, The News & Observer previously reported.
Smith was buried Monday in Clayton after a service in Raleigh. He had worked for WakeMed for 14 years, The N&O previously reported.
Martin’s friends told The N&O they took him to WakeMed that day for treatment for a mental health crisis. He was stressed about his grandmother’s poor health and the loss of one of the babies he and his fiancee were expecting, The N&O reported. The other baby died in utero while Martin was in surgery, according to friends.
This is a breaking story. Please check back for updates.
This story was originally published November 21, 2025 at 3:22 PM.
