Injured Harris County deputy says he looks forward to returning to duty

HOUSTON (FOX 26) — In life, distances, even tiny ones, can make all the difference. A fraction of an inch one way or another, the bullet that struck Harris County Sheriff's Office Deputy James Smejkal's hand could've missed him, maimed him or crippled him. It didn't miss him and his doctor says he'll keep his finger.

"He said, at worst, I'd have fifty percent with possibly having a fusion on my wrist," says Deputy Smejkal. "That's the worst case scenario."

The worst case scenario on this day, but it wasn't the worst case scenario on the day he was injured. On Dec. 11, Smejkal and other law enforcement officers entered a home on the northeast side to arrest a bad guy — a really bad guy, a really bad guy with a gun who started shooting at them.

"It was kind of like, 'Damn!,' Disbelief," adds Smejkal.

One of those shots struck Smejkal in the hand. Other shots injured two agents with the Texas Attorney General’s Office.

"He was rapid-firing his gun," describes Smejkal. "I knew I was not a match against him with the gun in my left hand, so after I fired my shot, I backed out and cautiously backed out of the house."

Once he was safe, Smejkal started to realize, although it hit his hand, a tiny distance, a fraction of an inch in another direction, and he'd be dead. He called home to tell his family what happened

"I didn't have a long conversation because I was trying to absorb it all, that, that's the main thing I told them, that I was going to be OK," recalls Smejkal.

While in the hospital, Smejkal learned a funny thing about distances: while at times the gap between civilian and law enforcement can seem vast, at times like this, they can disappear. The community rallied behind him throughout his recovery.

"Well, it's nice to have support," says Smejkal. "Not just the people I work with, but also people I've never heard of." His voice was cracking and his eyes were welling up with tears.

But after all, for thirty-five years, Smejkal has been putting in all on the line for people he’s never heard of too. Believe it or not, he's willing to go back and do it some more — as soon as that hand can fire a gun again.

"Gotta get back on the bicycle again,” says Smejkal. But that could take a while since he has another surgery and more rehabilitation to complete before he can do that.