Autopsy report released in fatal shooting of WakeMed police officer
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- WakeMed police officer Roger Smith was fatally shot Nov. 8 at the Garner Healthplex.
- Smith was allegedly shot by Benji Martin, who was experiencing a mental health crisis.
- Smith’s autopsy shows he was shot twice with his service weapon.
A WakeMed police officer killed during a struggle with a patient reportedly experiencing a mental-health crisis last November was fatally shot with his own gun, according to records released to The News & Observer this week.
Roger Smith, 59, died Nov. 8 at the WakeMed Healthplex in Garner, The N&O previously reported. Benji Martin, 29, of Garner is charged with murder in Smith’s death.
Martin was taken to the emergency room by friends after allegedly taking THC gummies and experiencing a mental-health crisis, according to search warrants. When Martin began acting “erratically,” hospital staff called in Smith. Five months later, the details on what happened next remain murky, with publicly available documents only describing the encounter as a “struggle.”
By the end of the encounter, Martin and Smith both had been shot, though Martin’s injuries wouldn’t be discovered until he was taken to the police department for questioning, The N&O previously reported. Smith died at WakeMed Raleigh about an hour after the shooting, while Martin was hospitalized for several weeks.
An investigative report from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner states Smith was shot with his service weapon, a P320 9 mm handgun, after it “was wrestled away from his person.” Smith was struck twice — once in the chest and once in the thigh, according to his autopsy.
Though Smith’s death certificate described him as being shot in the back, his autopsy clarifies one bullet struck him in the chest and exited his right back, while the other shot to his thigh ultimately lodged in his right back.
Martin’s loved ones and local advocates have called for the release of security camera footage from the emergency room. The medical examiner’s investigative report specifies there was footage of the incident. Martin’s defense attorney, Emilia Beskind, filed a request in November seeking the release of the footage, which she described as “critical evidence in this case.” It’s not clear if that release ever occurred.
Martin remained in the Wake County jail without bail as of Wednesday morning. His next court appearance has yet to be set.
This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Autopsy report released in fatal shooting of WakeMed police officer."
