GARNER, NC – A campus police officer was fatally shot earlier in November during what various reports and officials have described as a “struggle” with an individual inside of an emergency room lobby in Garner.
Local reports have identified the fallen officer as WakeMed campus Officer Roger Smith, noting the fatal shooting occurred at approximately 9:00 a.m. on November 8th while Officer Smith was working the WakeMed emergency room lobby. A suspect, identified as Benji Martin Jr., was arrested and has since been charged with Officer Smith’s murder.
Preliminary reports regarding the incident described that a “struggle” ensued between Officer Smith and Martin, which resulted in Officer Smith’s fatal injury as well as Martin being nonfatally shot. The Garner Police Department said that as of November 10th, Martin is still hospitalized due to the sustained gunshot wound during the incident but will be transferred to the Wake County Detention Center upon his medical release.
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein issued a statement via social media platform X regarding the fallen officer, sharing his condolences with Officer Smith’s family while emphasizing the dangers police officers face every day.
“My heart goes out to the family of Officer Roger Smith, who was killed protecting patients and their families,” Governor Stein stated, adding, “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.”
The Wake County Sheriff’s Office also issued a statement on Officer Smith’s passing, with the statement reading, “Today our heart is heavy as we join WakeMed and the law enforcement community in mourning the loss of WakeMed Police Officer Roger Smith. Please keep Officer Smith’s family and the entire WakeMed team in your thoughts and prayers. Though he did not wear a WCSO uniform, he will always be a part of our first responder family.”
North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation director Chip Hawley described Officer Smith’s final act of bravery as being indicative of a “true hero,” highlighting that had Officer Smith not acted as selflessly as he did then “there could have been many more citizens injured or killed.”
Officer Smith served with the Knightdale Police Department from 1997 to 2013 before joining the WakeMed campus police force where he’s called home for the past 12 years. Looking back on Officer Smith’s years of service in light of the recent tragedy, Knightdale Police Chief Lawrence Capps said, “He epitomized what it meant to be a law enforcement officer.”
Local reports have identified the fallen officer as WakeMed campus Officer Roger Smith, noting the fatal shooting occurred at approximately 9:00 a.m. on November 8th while Officer Smith was working the WakeMed emergency room lobby. A suspect, identified as Benji Martin Jr., was arrested and has since been charged with Officer Smith’s murder.
Preliminary reports regarding the incident described that a “struggle” ensued between Officer Smith and Martin, which resulted in Officer Smith’s fatal injury as well as Martin being nonfatally shot. The Garner Police Department said that as of November 10th, Martin is still hospitalized due to the sustained gunshot wound during the incident but will be transferred to the Wake County Detention Center upon his medical release.
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein issued a statement via social media platform X regarding the fallen officer, sharing his condolences with Officer Smith’s family while emphasizing the dangers police officers face every day.
“My heart goes out to the family of Officer Roger Smith, who was killed protecting patients and their families,” Governor Stein stated, adding, “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.”
The Wake County Sheriff’s Office also issued a statement on Officer Smith’s passing, with the statement reading, “Today our heart is heavy as we join WakeMed and the law enforcement community in mourning the loss of WakeMed Police Officer Roger Smith. Please keep Officer Smith’s family and the entire WakeMed team in your thoughts and prayers. Though he did not wear a WCSO uniform, he will always be a part of our first responder family.”
North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation director Chip Hawley described Officer Smith’s final act of bravery as being indicative of a “true hero,” highlighting that had Officer Smith not acted as selflessly as he did then “there could have been many more citizens injured or killed.”
Officer Smith served with the Knightdale Police Department from 1997 to 2013 before joining the WakeMed campus police force where he’s called home for the past 12 years. Looking back on Officer Smith’s years of service in light of the recent tragedy, Knightdale Police Chief Lawrence Capps said, “He epitomized what it meant to be a law enforcement officer.”
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