Iraqi Refugee Pleads Not Guilty To Shooting Officer Cem Duzel
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - A man who came to the United States as an Iraqi refugee pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of a Colorado police officer in August 2018. Karrar Noaman Al Khammasi entered his plea Friday.
It came about a month after a judge ruled he was fit to stand trial. A trial date was set for Feb. 18, 2020.
Al Khammasi, 32, is charged with shooting officer Cem Duzel, causing a serious brain injury. He is also charged with assault with a deadly weapon, felony menacing and illegal possession of a weapon.
Court records said Al Khammasi had been slated for deportation in 2016 until a change in immigration law meant his felony trespassing conviction was no longer grounds for removal.
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