A former Colorado sheriff's deputy was convicted of criminally negligent homicide Thursday in the shooting death of a 22-year-old man in distress who called 911 for help after his car got stuck in a small mountain community. Jurors stopped short of finding former Clear Creek County Deputy Andrew Buen guilty of the more serious charge of second-degree murder in the June 2022 death of Christian Glass, which drew national attention and led to changes in how officers are trained to respond to people in mental health crises under a $19 million settlement with his family.
The jury had the option to convict Buen on the lesser charge of homicide, which carries a sentence of up to three years in prison, the AP reports. As the verdict was read, Buen stood with his head bowed, flanked by his attorneys. He was later taken to jail, where he will stay until he is sentenced April 14. Prosecutors alleged that Buen needlessly escalated a standoff with Glass, who showed signs of a mental health crisis and refused orders to get out of his SUV near Silver Plume, a small former mining town along Interstate 70 in the Rocky Mountains west of Denver. The defense argued that Buen was legally justified in shooting Glass, who had a knife, to protect a fellow officer.
"Murder was never the appropriate charge in this case and we are grateful to all of the jurors for recognizing that," defense attorney Carrie Slinkard said, adding that the case would have implications for law enforcement statewide. Glass' mother said she hoped the conviction, even though it was for a lesser offense, would stop a similar tragedy in the future. "Our son was murdered and we pray that today's verdict prevents another family from suffering as we have," Sally Glass said in a statement. (More Colorado stories.)
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