6 More Officers Charged In Fatal Shooting Of Christian Glass

Six more law enforcement officers have been charged with failing to intervene during the fatal shooting of Christian Glass, who called 911 while experiencing a mental health crisis in Clear Creek County, Colorado, in 2022, the district attorney’s office said Friday.

Randy Williams, a Georgetown marshal; Georgetown police Officer Timothy Collins, who was at the time a deputy in Clear Creek County; Colorado State Patrol trooper Ryan Bennie; Idaho Springs police Officer Brittany Morrow; and two Colorado Gaming Commission officers, Christa Lloyd and Mary Harris, were all criminally charged with misdemeanors.

On Thursday, former Clear Creek County Deputy Kyle Gould pleaded guilty on charges of failing to intervene. Gould, the supervisor of Andrew Buen, the former Clear Creek County deputy who fatally shot Glass, was not on the scene, but provided direction while watching live bodycam recording.

During the encounter, according to body camera footage, Gould called for officers to break into the SUV that Glass was driving. A Clear Creek County District judge sentenced Gould to two years of unsupervised probation and issued him a $1,000 fine; Gould is not allowed to work in law enforcement or security.

Buen pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, official misconduct and reckless endangerment earlier this month.

Last year, HuffPost found that Buen was being sued for excessive force over a 2019 incident where he allegedly choked a man and kneeled on his back. The Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office settled the case for $15,000 in February.

On June 11, 2022, Glass, who was 22, called 911 and said his vehicle was stuck.

“I’m in a vehicle and my vehicle got stuck, in a really bad way,” Glass said on the call. “I have a weapon on me. I will throw them out of the window as soon as an officer gets here.”

The 911 operator who contacted officers described Glass as “very paranoid.” Seven officers from five departments arrived on the scene, and recordings from the scene indicate that officers talked about a potential “psych issue.”

Glass told officers he was “terrified” when they arrived.

Buen eventually fired at least five shots at Glass, who did not leave his vehicle at any point. Bodycam footage shows that none of the other officers intervened.

The county sheriff’s department argued that Buen fired shots at Glass because he would not drop a knife after being told to do so.

Glass’ family reached a $19 million settlement, one of the largest payouts related to an individual killed by police in Colorado.

In a statement on Friday, Col. Matthew Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol, said he had reviewed the bodycam footage and felt that Bennie, in particular, had not violated policy. He acknowledged that Glass should be alive, and described his death as a tragedy.

“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,” Packard said in the statement. “While the outcome of this case is pending, Trooper Bennie will be reassigned to an administrative position.”

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