The Garner Police Department said 59-year-old Smith was shot Saturday in the lobby of the WakeMed Garner Healthplex on U.S. Highway 70. Garner Police said 29-year-old Benji Martin Jr. is facing murder charges in connection with the officer's death following an extensive investigation and consultation with the Wake County District Attorney's Office. Martin Jr. was also shot during the altercation and is receiving medical care in custody.
Randy Murphy, a longtime friend and former coworker at WakeMed, said Smith brought a steady, caring presence to every interaction he witnessed.
"He was very, very kind to everybody," Murphy said. "If I had family that was in the hospital or being taken care of, I would have felt more comfortable knowing Roger was the one on guard."
Murphy said Smith had a warm and calming energy and stayed cool under pressure.
"He was a nice, bright light in my sometimes chaotic day -- that I could sit and at least talk with him, my friend Roger, for at least a few minutes when I get to see him, because he was that kind of guy," Murphy said.
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Murphy described Smith as a family man and said he was grateful to learn that a nonprofit called Back the Blue NC is raising money to help care for Smith's elderly mother.
An online obituary describes Smith as a loving father and grandfather who also volunteered for 20 years as a firefighter with the Garner Fire Department. Before joining WakeMed, he spent 16 years with the Knightdale Police Department, where Knightdale Police Chief Lawrence Capps said he left a warm and lasting impression.
Murphy hopes people will be patient as investigators work to learn more about what happened in the healthcare center lobby that day and remember Smith's decades of service.
"He, like every one of us, wants to go home to our family and our loved ones," Murphy said. "Not many of us have to face life-threatening decisions as we do our job, like he did -- and he did it with compassion and care, and he was a good man."
Garner Police are expected to release more information about the shooting on Wednesday.
A funeral for Officer Smith will be held Monday, Nov. 17 in Raleigh.
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