FORSYTH COUNTY, N.C. — The man accused of shooting a former Kernersville police officer in the face was sentenced to 20 years in prison for gun-related charges Thursday, according to the North Carolina Middle District Court.
Quinton Donnell Blocker was indicted on three counts of federal gun charges in 2021, shortly after the shooting. The charges are associated with the gun investigators said Blocker stole from Houle and then used to shoot him.
In March 2022, he reached a plea deal. Blocker pleaded guilty to two of three federal gun charges brought against him.
- Illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
- Possession of a stolen firearm
On July 28, Blocker was sentenced to 120 months in prison for each charge. The third charge was dropped. In all, Blocker was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Former officer Sean Houle was in court Thursday to testify during the proceedings. This was the first time Houle saw Blocker since the shooting in February 2021.
Houle spoke to reporters after the hearing. He explains, “it was hard, a lot harder than I thought it was going to be."
Houle explained the emotions he felt leading up to the hearing.
“I was pretty much nervous to the point where I wanted to be sick,” he continues, “today was a whole different weight and that was what really broke me, in the beginning, was the way it just sort of crashed down on me the whole thing and then seeing him again for the first time since everything happened face-to-face it was just a lot.”
The courtroom was full of support for Houle, and when it was his turn to testify, he said what he needed to.
“Somehow through it all, kind of a comfort, a piece came to me during it, and I was able to say what I needed to say,” Houle said.
The courtroom was filled with Houle's family and other law enforcement officers, supporting the officer who retired from the force in December. Houle explained, "to see them, be there and support me makes me feel like, yeah I'm still a part, I'm retired but I'm always gonna be a cop just a retired cop."
Blocker faces several other charges in connection with the shooting, including:
- Attempted first-degree murder
- Assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill
- Assault with a firearm on a law enforcement officer
- Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
On July 18, a grand jury indicted Blocker on these charges.
This case, directly involving the assault, is currently in Forsyth County Superior Court. Blocker could face additional punishment once the case gets to the sentencing phase. It's not yet clear when that could happen.
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