Deputies charged in Christian Glass’s death have first court appearance

The former Clear Creek County deputies charged in the killing of a 22-year-old Boulder man who called 911 for help when his car was stuck this summer had a first court appearance Monday.

Andrew Buen and his former supervisor Kyle Gould appeared with their attorneys after posting cash bonds last month.

They face felony charges in the shooting death of Christian Glass, who called them for help after his Honda Pilot got stuck on some rocks near Silver Plume. Glass never left the front seat of his own vehicle when he was shot and killed after refusing to get out of the car. He was holding a knife he had from a geology trip and was thrashing around the front seat after being tased.

Courtesy Clear Creek County

A grand jury found he didn’t pose any threat to officers, himself or the community. Gould and Buen have been fired from the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office.

Judge Catherine Cheroutes ruled that Gould could travel to Lake Havasu for Christmas, even though he is out on bond and that usually carries rules about out-of-state travel. The Glass family objected to that request from Gould’s defense attorney saying they were not going to see Christian this Christmas — or any holiday ever again.

“There is a moral objection,” Christian’s mother, Sally Glass, said outside the courtroom. “He gets to spend Christmas with his family, the holidays with his family and we don’t get to have all of our family together at Christmas.”

“Not Christian, and not for every Christmas from now on,” Simon Glass, Christian’s father, said.

In the small courtroom in this quiet mountain community about 45 miles west of Denver, Glass’ parents sat in the front row behind the defendants next to Clear Creek County District Attorney Heidi McCollum, who held a box of tissues for them.

When Gould and Buen left the courtroom with their attorneys, they didn’t make eye contact with Glass’ parents, who broke down after they left.

“It’s so hard to see that murderous man in the court, but we had to be here for our son, for justice, and to make sure the wheels keep turning and those men end up behind bars,” Sally Glass said.

Their next court appearance is at the end of January.