Jury finds former Clear Creek sheriff’s deputy guilty of criminally negligent homicide in Christian Glass’ death

A Clear Creek County jury found Andrew Buen, a former sheriff’s deputy, guilty of criminally negligent homicide Thursday afternoon in the fatal shooting of Christian Glass.

The jury deliberated for about eight hours before returning its verdict at about 2:30 p.m Thursday.

Buen was charged with second-degree murder, which carries a prison sentence up to 24 years, but the jury did not find that the shooting rose to the level of that charge. Criminally negligent homicide is a felony that normally carries a potential sentence of up to three years in prison.

Judge Catherine Cheroutes ordered Buen to be held in county jail pending a sentencing hearing, over the protests of his attorney, who argued he should be eligible for bond.

A sentencing hearing was scheduled for April 14. Buen will be eligible for probation or community corrections.

Buen, wearing a collared shirt and sweater, hung his head in his hands after the judge read the guilty verdict, and appeared to wipe tears from his eyes while he sat next to his attorneys in the front of the courtroom.

The verdict came after a retrial for Buen, who prosecutors said failed to protect Glass as he experienced a mental health crisis inside his car that became stuck on a dirt road in the small mountain town of Silver Plume in June 2022.

Buen’s defense argued the former deputy tried everything to help Glass and avoid hurting him, but ultimately shot his weapon and killed Glass because he feared the other officers on scene were in imminent danger. In closing arguments Wednesday, one of Buen’s defense attorneys, asked the jury to avoid using hindsight to make their decision.

The retrial started Feb. 7 after a different jury in April found Buen guilty of reckless endangerment, but could not reach a unanimous decision on the murder count or an official misconduct charge.

During the trial, body camera footage and recorded 911 audio were played to the jury. After calling 911 for a motor assist, Glass told a dispatcher that he had a small knife, a mallet and a hammer in his car and offered to throw them out the window when officers arrived, audio showed.

But when Buen arrived on scene, he told Glass to keep them in the car.

Read the article in its entirety at: https://coloradosun.com/2025/02/20/jury-verdict-christian-class-guilty-andrew-buen/