Recently released warrants shed new light on what happened the night before Benji Martin Jr. allegedly shot and killed a WakeMed Garner officer in an emergency room lobby on Nov. 8.
Friends told police that Martin, 29, was "acting erratically and sending unusual text messages to them the night prior," according to one of the warrants. Witnesses told authorities that Martin "continued to act erratically while in the lobby of the WakeMed Garner Healthplex emergency room." Their account is consistent with a 911 call where the caller told a dispatcher that a patient came in "tripping out bad."
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A witness told authorities that Martin told officer Roger Smith something to the effect of "you're going to be the one to get me or kill me," according to the warrant.
The five documents show that authorities are looking to search Martin's phone, his home, vehicle, medical records and journals that he kept in an effort to gain an understanding of Martin's state of mind leading up to the shooting.
One warrant showed two friends took him to the hospital after receiving text messages the night before the shooting from Martin saying he was not doing well mentally. Police plan to search his phone for any messages where he may have threatened self-harm.
Martin was working at a THC/hemp store in Fuquay-Varina the night before the shooting. He was known to take THC gummies in the past, and police are looking into whether Martin took gummies around the time of the shooting. He worked from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Nov. 7, during which he was texting his friend, according to a warrant. Police talked with friends and the owner of the store.
Having recently started working at the store, Martin was given an onboarding gift bag by a coworker the night before the shooting. Police did not find items from that bag at Martin's home, according to warrants.
Martin's family members and friends held a news conference after the shooting asking for 'justice for Benji.' Martin's supporters want surveillance video to be publicly released.
Martin was charged with murder and appeared in court on Nov. 24 and Dec. 15.
Durham-based lawyer Emilia Beskind asked the court that Martin be provided the necessary medical supplies to treat his injuries while at the Wake County Detention Center. A document from Beskind states Martin was trying to "seek help" when he entered the WakeMed Garner Healthplex and did not bring a gun to the facility.
Martin graduated from Garner High School and attended East Carolina University.
Smith was 59 and had worked with Knightdale police in addition to his service with WakeMed.
