**Police Officer Shot and Killed During Struggle at North Carolina Hospital**
**GARNER, N.C. (AP)** — A police officer was shot and killed during a struggle in the emergency department lobby at a North Carolina hospital on Saturday morning.
The incident occurred around 9 a.m. at the WakeMed Garner Healthplex. WakeMed Campus Police Officer Roger Smith was tragically killed, according to a statement from WakeMed.
A “person of interest” in connection with the shooting is currently in custody, the Garner Police Department said in a statement. Hospital officials are working closely with local police and state investigators as the emergency department lobby remains closed.
Further details about the circumstances of the shooting have not been immediately released.
“Law enforcement officers put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe, and we are forever grateful for Officer Smith’s sacrifice,” North Carolina Governor Josh Stein said in a statement on X.
Garner is a city of about 31,000 people located just south of Raleigh in central North Carolina. The WakeMed police department oversees security at six facilities within the health care system, including the hospital in Garner. Officers are fully sworn law enforcement officials and receive all the police training required under state law.
This is a developing story, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
https://ktar.com/national-news/hospital-police-officer-shot-and-killed-in-north-carolina-emergency-department-struggle/5772907/