Colorado Springs residents woke up earlier this month to the difficult and upsetting news that a police officer had been shot, a victim of a targeted assault just east of the city’s downtown area.
Cem Duzel, a 5-year veteran of the force, remains hospitalized and in critical but stable condition. A native of Long Island, New York, the Turkish-American patrolman has been described by friends and colleagues as “quiet,” “kindhearted” – and “one tough cookie.”
Since news of the shooting, support and prayers for the wounded officer have been pouring in from all over the world.