A former Colorado sheriff’s deputy was convicted of a misdemeanor in the shooting death of a 22-year-old man named Christian Glass, who called 911 for help after his car got stuck in a small mountain community. The deputy, Andrew Buen, was also charged with second-degree murder and official misconduct, but the jury only found him guilty of reckless endangerment. This conviction typically carries a maximum sentence of four months in jail, in contrast to the years in prison that a second-degree murder conviction would have carried. Prosecutors alleged that Buen needlessly escalated a standoff with Glass, who was exhibiting signs of a mental health crisis, while the defense argued that Buen shot Glass to protect a fellow officer, making the shooting legally justified.
A second officer involved in Glass’ death had previously pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, and six other officers have been charged with failing to intervene. Whether or not District Attorney Heidi McCollum will continue to pursue the murder and official misconduct charges against Buen is still unknown but a decision is expected in the next couple of weeks. An attorney for the Glass family expressed their desire for the prosecution to continue to seek justice for Christian, emphasizing that the jury did find Deputy Buen’s conduct to be criminal, as evidenced by his conviction for reckless endangerment.
Glass had called for help after his SUV became stuck on a dirt road in Silver Plume, expressing paranoia and hallucinations that suggested a mental health crisis. When Buen and other officers arrived, Glass refused to exit his vehicle. Despite efforts to get him out using bean bag rounds and a Taser, Glass did not comply. He then flung a knife out of a rear window towards another officer, prompting Buen to fire five shots at Glass. Prosecutors argued that Buen did not have legal justification to force Glass out of the vehicle and that their attempts to subdue him were excessive. The defense, however, argued that Glass had reacted after being treated poorly by the officers and pointed out that the knife never actually touched the officer it was aimed at.
Sally Glass, Christian’s mother, has stated that her son suffers from depression and had recently been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. She explained that her son was experiencing a mental health episode during his interaction with the police. Chief Deputy District Attorney Stephen Potts described Glass as a “terrified boy” and emphasized that the reason behind Glass’ crisis was irrelevant to the case. The defense criticized the prosecution for not investigating whether Glass’ behavior was related to behavioral or psychological issues, drug use, or a combination of factors. The outcome of this case has drawn attention to the need for reform in crisis intervention and police response to mental health crises, prompting calls for change in the way law enforcement handles such situations.
