COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) – Colorado Springs Police Officer Cem Duzel was shot overnight and was critically hurt in a shootout. “We like to express our gratitude for the outpouring of support from hundreds and hundreds of people from around the country,” the police department said on Facebook Thursday afternoon. “Please keep Officer Duzel and his family in your thoughts and prayers.” Duzel is a 5-year veteran of the Colorado Springs Police Department. A suspect was also shot and wounded but is expected to survive. The shootout took place at approximately 3 a.m. on the 2300 block of East Boulder Street near the intersection of Boulder Street and Bonfoy Avenue, a few blocks away from the U.S. Olympic Training Center. Police Chief Peter Carey said officers were responding to “an armed individual who was firing shots.” The suspect was standing on the street when they arrived. That suspect has been identified as Karrar Noaman Al Khammasi, 31. “When officers arrived on scene they encountered an armed suspect and there was an exchange of gunfire,” Carey said. Police asked that people avoid the area around Boulder Street, Union Boulevard and Platte Avenue while an investigation by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office takes place. “This has been an extremely difficult year with law enforcement officers being hurt or killed, in particular in our region,” Carey said. “Please keep Officer Duzel, his family and the Colorado Springs Police Department in your thoughts and prayers.” RELATED: Community Prays For Cem Duzel, Colorado Springs Officer Wounded In Shooting Duzel underwent surgery after the shooting at UCHealth Memorial Hospital. News outlets wanting to fly drones over the crime scene are interfering and hindering the investigation into the Officer Involved Shooting by EPSO. We are asking the media and citizens to keep their drones grounded until we complete our investigation. pic.twitter.com/4MT4LnRITR — EPCSheriff (@EPCSheriff) August 2, 2018 The sheriff’s office asked that people and media agencies not fly drones near the scene of the investigation. Additional Information from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office: If anyone knows Al Khammasi or has any information about him, please contact the Sheriff’s Office Tip Line at 719-520-6666 or Crimestoppers at 719-634-7867.<doc-sep>A Colorado man — who had just killed a home intruder moments before — was fatally shot by police after he was mistaken for a burglar. According to police in Aurora, Colo., officers responded to a call on Monday from a woman who said a man was breaking into her house. Described by police as a "very chaotic and violent scene," officers heard gunshots fired from inside the home before encountering an armed man. The man was shot and taken to the hospital where he later died of his injuries. Upon further investigation, Aurora police learned the armed man lived at the house, and had just shot and killed an intruder before encountering officers. "This is a very heartbreaking and tragic situation for everyone involved," said Nick Metz, police chief with the Aurora Police Department, in a statement. "We are providing assistance through our victim advocates to help the family of the deceased resident through this very difficult time." An injured juvenile was also found near the scene of the intruder's shooting, and taken to a local hospital for serious but not life-threatening injuries. The officer involved has been placed on administrative reassignment with pay, said the department, who is working jointly with the Denver Police Department on an investigation. Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.<doc-sep>A 73-year-old Aurora, Colo., man who fatally shot a naked intruder who broke into his home, only to be killed by one of the police officers who responded, may not have heard orders to put down his gun because of a hearing impairment, the police said Thursday. Early Monday morning, Aurora police officers approached a home in the northern part of the city where they believed an intruder was trying to drown an 11-year-old child, Police Chief Nicholas Metz said at a news conference. Officers heard gunshots from inside the home, and as they stood by the front door, they saw Richard Black Jr., a resident of the home, with a gun in one hand and a flashlight in the other, he said. Mr. Black, known as Gary, did not obey at least five commands to drop his gun, Chief Metz said. As he walked toward them, an officer fired four times, fatally shooting Mr. Black. “We don’t know why, but for whatever reason, Mr. Black did not drop the gun,” Chief Metz said. He said the family had told him that Mr. Black had a significant hearing impairment from his time in the military, and it was possible he may not have heard the officers’ orders.<doc-sep>AURORA, Colorado (WABC) -- A police officer fatally shot an armed homeowner in Colorado in an apparent case of mistaken identity after that man had killed an intruder inside his home.Police responded to reports of an intruder early Monday morning, and arriving officers heard gunfire. They confronted a man armed with a gun, and the officer shot and killed him.Authorities now say the armed man was actually the homeowner, who had just killed the intruder.Officials say the intruder was found dead on the bathroom floor. "This is a very heartbreaking and tragic situation for everyone involved," Aurora Police Chief Nick Metz said in a statement. "We are providing assistance through our victim advocates to help the family of the deceased resident through this very difficult time. "An injured juvenile was also in the bathroom. That juvenile was taken to the hospital after receiving injuries from the intruder.The police officer is on paid administrative leave.Neighbors say the homeowner was a retired grandfather who was known for tending to his garden. "Just devastating," one neighbor said. "He was our neighbor. My dad knows him. He is very friendly, you know? Every time we've seen him, he'd wave." ----------<doc-sep>
A Vietnam War veteran defending his home from an intruder was shot and killed by police who mistook the man for the assailant, Colorado authorities said Tuesday. Police responded early Monday to a call made by a woman who said a man had broken into her home, according to police in Aurora, a suburb of Denver. When an officer arrived, he heard a gunshot fired inside the residence. Once he entered the home, the officer found "a very chaotic and violent scene," according to the statement. While inside, the officer saw the armed resident, whom the officer then fatally shot. The officer then cleared the house to secure the scene. The man shot by the officer, identified by a family member to NBC affiliate KUSA of Denver as Richard Black Jr., 73, was transported to a hospital, where he died. "This is a very heartbreaking and tragic situation for everyone involved," Aurora Police Chief Nick Metz said in a statement. Police have not identified the resident or the intruder. Qusair Mohamedbhai, a lawyer representing Black's family, told KUSA that the intruder grabbed Black's 11-year-old grandson, who was sleeping on a couch, and dragged him to a bathroom, where he attacked the boy. Police confirmed that an unidentified juvenile was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening but serious injuries. Black and the boy's father tried to pull the attacker off the child, but after a struggle, Black grabbed his gun and shot and killed the man, Mohamedbhai said. Moments later, Mohamedbhai said, the Aurora officer shot and killed Black, who was licensed as a certified public accountant in Colorado from 1999 to 2008. Mohamedbhai told the station that Black's wife, Jeanette Black, gave a detailed description of her husband and what he was wearing when she called 911. He said there is evidence to suggest that while Black was inside the home, the officer who shot him was outside. The police officer has been placed on administrative reassignment with pay while the shooting is investigated, according to the statement.