News 8
Collin County judge temporarily blinded after shot with blank 
11:27 AM CDT on Wednesday, July 1, 2009
A Collin County judge at a training exercise got a very real shot in the face. The shot came from a gun loaded with blanks, but the damage was nearly blinding.
The exercise Saturday involved Collin County sheriff deputies, court staff and McKinney police. In one of the mock scenarios, Judge John Roach Jr. was taken hostage by an angry gunman.
"He was falling or pushed down by the SWAT team, which is natural," Roach said. "Then, he fired point blank at my head with a gunshot."
While the man acting as the hostage taker was supposed to shoot .38 caliber blanks, it wasn't supposed to be in the direction of the judge. Roach said he immediately knew something had gone terribly wrong.
"I leaned down and put my head in my hands and saw all the blood and knew I had been hurt," he said.
An ambulance rushed the judge to the Medical Center of Plano. He said the shot left him fearing he would lose his sight.
"I thought, 'How can I see my kids and how can I see my wife? And if it progresses, how do I go to work and can I go to work as a judge without having my eyesight?'" he said.
The judge, who oversees the 296th State District Court, started to get his vision back two days after the incident.
To illustrate the force of a .38 caliber gun shooting blanks, News 8 asked the owners of a Garland gun store to shoot at a target from six to eight inches, which was the same distance the gun was fired at the judge's face. Even with blanks, the force of the blast blew a hole through the target and peppered it with gun powder, which was the same pattern left on Roach's face.
"I don't think we should use blanks at all in those types of scenarios anymore," Roach said. "And, I think we're going to make a policy change."
The distraught man who fired the gun followed the judge to the hospital. Roach later called him to say he was okay and not placing the blame on any person.
E-mail sstoler@wfaa.com
