Jury hung on murder, misconduct charges for ex-deputy who killed Christian Glass

DENVER (KDVR) — A jury found former Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Deputy Andrew Buen guilty of a single charge stemming from the 2022 death of Christian Glass.

Buen was charged with second-degree murder, official misconduct and reckless endangerment. The jury was unable to return a verdict on official misconduct or second-degree murder but determined Buen’s guilt in the final charge of reckless endangerment.

The case was reset to Monday for a court hearing to talk about sentencing and the hung verdicts.

Glass, 22, called 911 for help when his car got stuck on the side of a road in Silver Plume on June 10, 2022. Glass had told 911 dispatchers that he had potential weapons in his car — knives and a hammer, which his family said he had packed for an amateur geology trip.

FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox

The hourlong encounter with police was captured on body-worn cameras, showing multiple law enforcement officers trying to communicate with Glass, shooting him with bean bag rounds and a Taser multiple times, eventually firing five shots into the car, killing the unarmed man.

Buen was charged along with former Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Sgt. Kyle Gould, who pleaded guilty to an amended charge of failure to intervene, a misdemeanor and was sentenced in November 2023 to two years probation with no jail sentence. Gould also agreed to withdraw his Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training certification and not to work in law enforcement or security in any jurisdiction.

Six other law enforcement personnel also were charged in Glass’ death.

Trial attorneys did not dispute Buen fired his weapon

Both prosecutors and defense attorneys seemed to agree that Buen was the one to fire shots that night, striking and killing Glass. But whether Glass was a threat to deputies or if he was experiencing a mental health crisis was disputed.

Prosecutors argued to the jury during opening arguments that the actions of the former deputy, who shot Glass five times, were aggressive, and he was hostile from the moment he arrived on the scene.

Buen’s defense attorney conversely argued Buen did the best he could do with someone who was not responding to commands and was potentially under the influence of alcohol and drugs. The defense attorney suggested he had multiple weapons in the car at the time.

According to the autopsy report of Glass’ body, amphetamines were present, which the Glass family lawyers have said were likely due to an ADHD prescription, in addition to THC and a .01% blood alcohol concentration at the time of his death.

Body-worn camera footage shows officers arriving on the scene and Glass acting in ways law enforcement have said were incoherent and showing signs of paranoia.

He can also be seen making the shape of a heart with his hands before police broke a window of his vehicle, shot him six times with bean bags and used a Taser twice on the 22-year-old. Glass never left the vehicle during the encounter.

Glass’ parents have remained engaged throughout

Despite the emotional nature of this case, Glass’ parents, Simon and Sally, have been present throughout.

Testimony begins in deputy’s trial in Christian Glass killing

During opening statements, Glass’ mother and father sat in the front row of the courtroom to listen to prosecutors and defense attorneys argue about their son. They had previously called Buen’s choice to plead not guilty, forcing the case to go to trial, a “slap in the face.”

“Jesus, are you kidding me? You murdered our son, intentionally, maliciously, and you’ve got the nerve to say not guilty,” Sally Glass said.

“He’s as guilty as sin, and we’ve never watched the body cam footage, but he’s as guilty as sin, and just to do this to us and just prolong the agony is just more cruelty, which is the measure of the man,” she said.

In 2023, the Glass family reached a $19 million settlement over their son’s death.

They have also pressed prosecutors to seek the strongest charges possible against the eight officers involved in Glass’ death.

“In my simplistic view, when a group of people get together and commit a murder, they are all responsible,” Simon Glass said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.