Man charged in WakeMed officer's death appears in court, father calls for release of video

WAKE COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- The man charged with murder in the death of WakeMed officer Roger Smith made his first court appearance, just days after he was released from the hospital.

Benji Martin made a brief appearance in front of a magistrate on Friday.

Monday, Judge Crystal Grimes' courtroom was packed with friends and family of Martin.

New court documents obtained by ABC11 show his defense claims he went to the hospital to get help for his mental health. The documents go on to say his fiancée had a miscarriage with twins and that he was not armed at the hospital.

The shooting happened inside the emergency department at WakeMed Garner Healthplex. At this point, it is still not clear what led up to the incident between Martin and Officer Smith.

"We sent him to the doctors to get help. And we end up like this. And that's not fair to him," said Benji Martin Sr. following the court hearing. "He wasn't going to hurt anybody."

Martin was released from the hospital this past Friday and officially charged.

The Martin family and supporters contend law enforcement has said there is surveillance footage from the incident that details the sequencing of events and according to court filings, the family claims they have yet to see the footage.

"Mr. Martin was there seeking medical attention. And we're calling for the immediate release of that video," said Rev. Greg Drumwright, who appeared alongside the family.
attended the hearing, including his father, who called for the release of video from the hospital related to the shooting.

"We need to see the videos. Hopefully, they will let it out so we can see when we get past this. We're asking for the Wake County District Attorney's office to release the video," Benji Martin Sr. said.

In court, the district attorney's office did not provide any further details on what may have happened that day that escalated into a shooting between Martin and Smith.

District Attorney Lorrin Freeman told ABC11 that she would not be commenting publicly on the case at this time.

Stay on top of breaking news stories with the ABC11 News App

If convicted, Judge Grimes said Martin could face the possibility of life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.

Officer Smith was a 14-year veteran of WakeMed's Public Safety Team who previously served in the Knightdale Police Department.

He was laid to rest last week.