6 more Colorado officers charged in connection to death of Christian Glass in Clear Creek County
Six more officers have been charged in connection with the death of Christian Glass. On Thursday, former Sgt. Kyle Gould pleaded guilty to charges of duty to report use of force and duty to intervene in his death in Clear Creek County Court.
On Friday, the Fifth Judicial District Attorney announced charges for six additional officers who were present on June 11, 2022, when Glass was shot and killed.
Georgetown Marshal Randy Williams has been charged with duty to intervene and 3rd-degree assault; Georgetown Police Officer Timothy Collins, Idaho Springs Police Officer Brittany Morrow, Colorado State Trooper Ryan Bennie, and Division of Gaming Officers Christa Lloyd and Mary J. Harris have all been charged with duty to intervene. All charges are class 1 misdemeanors.
Glass’ parents reacted to the additional charges a few hours after they were announced. According to Colorado law, law enforcement officers are required to intervene when they witness another peace officer using physical force with exceeds the degree of physical force needed in the situation.
“Every one of them should have said, ‘Stop’ and they all had a duty to do that. That’s part of wearing the uniform. It’s something we’ve really campaigned for. I don’t believe any of those officers should be serving,” said Glass’ mother Sally Glass “They have no right to serve because they’ve shown that they can’t protect us and they can’t serve us because they didn’t do it that night.”
“Christian Glass should be alive today. He should be here with us,” said Glass’ father Simon Glass. “We intend to seek justice.”
“Law enforcement officers must be held accountable for their actions when performing their trusted public service duties. Yesterday, my office filed additional charges against each of the six other officers who were present June 11, 2022, for failing to intervene in the events and actions of Andrew Buen, which led to Christian Glass’ death,” said Heidi McCollum, 5th Judicial District Attorney in a statement.
Colorado State Patrol Chief Matthew Packard released a statement soon after those charges were announced on Friday morning, reading in part, “Christian Glass should still be alive. This incident was a tragedy, and those responsible for his death should be held accountable as an important first step in regaining the public’s trust. As the Chief of the Colorado State Patrol, I have had the opportunity to review at length the events that led to the killing of Christian Glass. In my review, I found no indication that Trooper Bennie violated any Colorado State Patrol policy or training. I am shocked by the decision of the District Attorney to pursue charges against Trooper Bennie. While the outcome of this case is pending, Trooper Bennie will be reassigned to an administrative position. Trooper Bennie has been with the Patrol for four years.”
Glass, 22, was shot and killed in Colorado’s high country in 2022 after he called 911 for help when his car broke down. It happened in Silver Plume and officers from several different law enforcement agencies responded. Glass told an emergency dispatcher he had two knives, a hammer and a rubber mallet. His family’s attorney says that is because he was an amateur geologist.
Over the span of an hour, officers told him he needed to get out of his car and dismissed attempts to drop the weapons out of his window. Glass refused to leave the car, saying he was scared. As things escalated, officers broke a window in an attempt to get him out and Glass grabbed one of the knives. Officers then tased him. Body cam video then showed Glass beginning to swing the knife wildly with his arm. That’s when an officer or officers shot him.
Gould was fired from the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office a year ago after being indicted by a grand jury. As part of his plea deal, Gould agreed that he cannot serve as a police officer or security officer ever again in the state of Colorado.
While Gould’s case has wrapped up, another former Clear Creek deputy, Andrew Buen, is fighting his charges of second-degree murder, official misconduct and reckless endangerment. He is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 20 for a motions hearing in the case.
The civil case for Glass’ death resulted in a $19 million settlement with his family.
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