Turkish-American police officer critically wounded in Colorado shootout
06/08/2018
- - A Turkish-origin police officer who was shot in the head by an Iraqi immigrant in the U.S. state of Colorado on Thursday remains in critical condition.
- - Düzel, 30, was shot in the head and remains in an area hospital. Health officials said he has shown movement on both sides of his body, a hopeful sign, local media reported.
- - The attacker was a 31-year-old Iraqi immigrant Karrar Noaman Al Khammasi, which court records show has a recent criminal history in the U.S.
Officer Cem Düzel of Colorado Springs was responding to a call in the early morning hours when a man pulled out a gun and began shooting at him, authorities said.
Hundreds of community members attended a prayer vigil on Friday night to support Düzel. The community is also collecting donations to help his family with medical expenses.
Al Khammasi was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Al Khammasi was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
He was first charged with drunk driving in 2013. After a month later, Khammasi added another charge of criminal extortion where investigators claimed he threatened a man and his family and set a car on fire.
The Colorado Springs Gazette reports Al Khammasi's criminal record includes a felony guilty plea to first-degree trespassing and a probation violation that brought a year-and-a-half-long prison sentence.
Al Khammasi was charged earlier this year for allegedly possessing a stolen handgun. Al Khammasi's hospitalization caused him to miss a court appearance on the gun charge Friday.