KERNERSVILLE, N.C. — The man who shot a Kernersville police officer in the line of duty was sentenced to decades in prison.
On Monday, a judge accepted Quinton Blocker's guilty plea and sentenced him to spend 40-42 years in prison.
Investigators said Blocker shot former officer Sean Houle during a traffic stop in 2021.
A grand jury indicted Quinton Blocker in the summer of 2022 on several charges, including attempted murder.
Houle spent nearly a month in the hospital in critical condition from his injuries.
Monday in court, Houle spoke about the milestone this sentence marked in his journey to forgiveness.
"This is a huge weight off my shoulders. I can finally move on, my family and I, without having to give this part of the process a thought, for a very long time, at least. That means a great deal to us. All I've ever wanted for this whole incident is positivity and to show what God did for me that night...but it's because of that God that I was able to look at Quinton today - look into his eyes and genuinely tell him I've forgiven him. It's because of that God," Houle said.
Houle said he hopes Blocker will turn his life around in prison and turn to God. He said as he and Blocker left the courtroom, Blocker acknowledged him and said he was sorry.
In July 2022, a judge sentenced Blocker to 20 years in prison on federal gun charges. Blocker will serve that sentence concurrently with Monday's sentence.
Houle said he has scaring and still experiences pain. Back in 2022, he medically retired from the force.
"In the city of Winston-Salem, we're down about 140 officers as of today which means less officers out on the street, less officers out there to protect us, less officers like Sean Houle who every day of his career showed tremendously bravery, please remember to support law enforcement," said Forsyth County district attorney, Jim O'Neil.
Houle was shot in the face and the hand during the traffic stop. He needed 72 units of blood. One of the ways he is choosing to give back is by advocating for blood donations.
We spoke to him about his mission during our WFMY Holiday Blood Drive back in December.
"I'm here to tell you that blood saved my life. I don't know whose all blood it was, I'm thankful for whose all blood that was," he said.
Houle also now serves as a chaplain with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team, serving communities in times of crisis.
MORE WAYS TO GET WFMY NEWS 2
Subscribe to our daily newsletter Let’s Get 2 It!
Download the WFMY News 2 APP from your Apple or Google Play store.
ADD THE WFMY+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for WFMY.
Amazon Fire TV: Search for WFMY to find the free app to add to your account. You can also add the app directly to your Fire TV through your Amazon account.