Officer Cem Duzel Gets Visit From Santa, Fellow Officers During Recovery
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4)- Colorado Springs Police Officer Cem Duzel received a special visit from Santa and fellow officers on Wednesday. A video posted on Twitter by CSPD shows part of that visit, and Officer Duzel responding with a smile.
Santa passes along a message to Cem from the Gold Hill Division that they want him at Gold Hill when he returns! (Cem is with Sand Creek Division)! pic.twitter.com/eYIxpiTjOG
— Colorado Springs Police Department (@CSPDPIO) January 2, 2019
"Good to see you," Santa can be heard saying. "Look at that smile on your face," he said.
A group of officers drove to Englewood from Colorado Springs to bring him some late Christmas cheer. Three patrol cars pulled up to Craig Hospital Wednesday morning, with Santa in the backseat.
Colorado Springs Police received letters for Duzel from all around the world. They took the opportunity to deliver the letters to him in person.
"The reason I'm late is because I had a head light go out, and they couldn't find Rudolph's new nose anywhere," Santa joked with Duzel.
In August, Duzel, a 5-year veteran, of the Department was shot in the head while responding to a call. He spent nearly a month in intensive care before being moved to Craig Hospital in Englewood to start rehabilitation.
Since the first reports of Duzel's injuries, the community has been rallying behind him following his miraculous recovery through photos and updates posted online.
None of them more telling then that video shared by CSPD on Wednesday.
"We need you back," one of the officers tells Duzel in the CSPD video.
An officer told CBS4 Duzel has a few more surgeries ahead of him. The officer said his road to recovery is long, but Duzel is a fighter and they'll be by his side every step of the way.