Man found guilty of shooting Colorado Springs Police officer in head

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Iraqi national who was arrested after a Colorado Springs Police officer was shot in the head in August of 2018 was found guilty of several felony charges Tuesday.

According to Colorado Court records, Karrar Al Khammasi was convicted of attempted murder of a peace officer, along with assault and felony menacing. Al Khammasi was arrested following a shooting that left CSPD Officer Cem Duzel gravely wounded.

Cem Duzel was shot in the head while responding to a call about shots fired near Bonfoy and Boulder Ave. in August 2018. Witnesses say they saw Al Khammasi at Skybox Lounge and the Angry Pirate, both bars, before the incident. Al Khammasi was quickly arrested, and officers found several .40 caliber gun casings in a five-block radius.

Al Khammasi is a refugee from Iraq for unknown reasons, and had been in the U.S. for over six years. Since his move, he’s has racked up a lengthy criminal record, including trespassing, assault, parole violations, and weapon offenses.

Al Khammasi fled Iraq and was in Istanbul when he was granted refugee status by the Department of Homeland Security in 2012. One of his felonies in the U.S. almost got him deported in 2016, according to the Associated Press, but the proceedings were ended due to an appeals court ruling that immigration law’s definition of violent crime was too vague.

Duzel survived the shooting but had to undergo rehabilitation, and he hasn’t been able to return to duty.

A sentencing date for Al Khammasi has been set for Aug. 19.