A national nonprofit recently paid off a mortgage for the family of a former Colorado Springs police officer who was grievously wounded in the line of duty.

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a New York-based organization that supports the families of stricken service members, veterans and first responders, also made several “smart home” adaptations to the Peyton home of Cem Duzel, according to a news release.

“The mortgage means everything,” Duzel said in a statement. “Tunnel to Towers has eased our hearts and minds, especially with a new baby.”

On Aug. 2, 2018, Duzel responded to a shots-fired call on Boulder Street, east of downtown. Shortly after he arrived at the scene, a suspect opened fire, hitting Duzel in the head.

The officer was hospitalized for a year and underwent two years of intensive physical and speech therapy.

“I loved everything about the job, except the paperwork,” Duzel said. “What mattered most to me was helping in the community, talking to everyone, protecting the good people from the bad.”

In recent years, Tunnel to Towers has eased the financial burdens of several Colorado Springs-area families. In 2022, the nonprofit helped build a fully-outfitted “smart home” for retired Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Israel Del Toro Jr., who was severely injured in an IED explosion while deployed to Afghanistan in 2005.

In 2023, the organization paid off the mortgages for the families of Army Staff Sgt. Micah Walker, who died in a training accident in 2021, and Fountain police Officer Julian Becerra, who died following a fall while chasing carjacking suspects in 2023.

At Duzel’s home, the nonprofit converted a bathtub into an accessible shower, installed railings on three sets of stairs and installed technology that allows remote control of the home’s lighting, HVAC, security and sound systems, the release stated.

“We are honored to deliver this home to (Officer) Duzel and his family — a place where they can live comfortably, safely, and with the peace of mind of knowing it will be theirs forever,” said Frank Siller, Tunnel to Towers chairman and CEO.