GEORGETOWN, Colo. — A former Clear Creek County deputy found guilty in the June 2022 death of Christian Glass has been sentenced to three years in prison.
Andrew Buen was sentenced to three years in the Department of Corrections (DOC) for a criminally negligent homicide charge and 120 days in jail for a reckless endangerment charge. The latter will run concurrently with the DOC charge.
"We'll never get Christian back, I do think that at least some justice was served, and I'm grateful for that," said Katie Glass, Christian's sister during a media conference after the sentencing.
This case began late in the evening of June 11, 2022, when Glass, 22, called 911 because his car became stuck on a rock in Silver Plume. He told dispatchers he had knives, a hammer and a mallet in the car, and believed he was being followed. His family said he was experiencing a mental health episode that evening. Law enforcement responded and tried to coax him out of the car because it seemed obvious he needed help, but Glass said he did not want to, the defense attorneys said. Prosecutors said he was terrified because authorities were acting aggressive with him.
Law enforcement believed he intended to carry out a threat to kill everyone at the scene, the defense said. However, Glass stayed in his car. The officials eventually fired bean bag rounds at Glass and used a Taser on him before Buen shot the 22-year-old five times.
Defense attorneys argued that Buen only fired his weapon after Glass swung a knife out of the car's back window near where Georgetown Marshal Randy Williams was standing. They said Buen believed Glass was trying to stab Williams.
Prosecutors argued that Buen needlessly escalated the situation from the moment he arrived at the scene, and Glass did not pose a danger and was not suspected of committing any crimes. A grand jury found that Williams was never in “imminent danger of being stabbed by Mr. Glass.”
"The first month, we were fed a bunch of lies about what happened. Everyone who's seen what happened that night knows that it was wrong. We didn't really need, in my opinion, three years to figure that out," said Glass' father, Simon Glass after Monday's sentencing.
2024 trial and 2025 retrial results in convictions
Buen was first tried in April 2024, when the jury found him guilty of reckless endangerment, but was deadlocked on the charge of second-degree murder. Lawyers for the Glass family told Denver7 at the time that 11 of the 12 jurors believed Buen was guilty of second-degree murder, but they were unable to come to a unanimous decision because of the one juror. This led to his retrial, which began in February 2025.
In this retrial, the jury was tasked with deciding if Buen was within his legal rights as an officer when he used deadly force against Glass. While Buen had been charged with second-degree murder, the jury had the option to find him guilty of reckless manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide.
On the afternoon of Feb. 20, the jury returned with a unanimous verdict of guilty for criminally negligent homicide. They made the decision within about 24 hours.
Following the verdict, the parents of Christian Glass addressed the media. Hear from them in the video player below.
Before the trial or retrial, an internal affairs investigation that wrapped in 2023 determined that Buen did not act properly during the incident and failed to de-escalate the situation. The incident sparked outrage and resulted in a record-setting $19 million settlement paid to Glass’ family in May 2023.
Andrew Buen sentencing on April 14
Chief Deputy District Steve Potts began the sentencing hearing by reminding the court that this case is about Christian Glass and what was lost when he was taken away in such a violent manner.
“A boy stuck in a car in Silver Plume who posed no danger to anyone, who said he wasn’t dangerous, who said he wasn’t going to hurt anyone, who was obviously in a state of absolute crisis, was taken," Potts said. "And that has been lost many, many times.”
Several members of the Glass family spoke on Monday morning, including Christian Glass' parents and sister.
Simon Glass, his father, said his son's murder has torn up his life and put a dagger through his heart. Speaking about him in the past tense felt "alien" to him, he explained. He said his family's grief was compounded by misleading information provided by the Clear Creek County undersheriff following the shooting. Without the body camera footage, Simon Glass said he believes the truth would have stayed hidden.
“I cannot fathom or understand such cruelty," he said. "The defendant is not representative of the police force. He's a sick, evil man.”
Through the trial, he drew comparisons between Buen and his son. Christian Glass knew right from wrong, and was a gentle soul, he said. On the night of the shooting, Buen made the initial threats, "mounted the attack," sought the opportunity to kill the 22-year-old, participated in a "coverup" and returned to duty a few days later, he said.
“The defense's lies have been disgusting and very difficult to endure," he said. "... What a waste. What a terrible waste. Christian had a lot to offer the world.”
Christian Glass' youngest sister Katie Glass also addressed the court, saying she struggled to find the right words to tell the court.
She said, like her parents, she had decided not to watch the body-worn camera footage. But one day she decided she needed to see the truth for herself and she now regrets that decision every day. Her brother died terrified, in pain and alone, she said.
"I’m never going to see him again. I don’t believe that the defendant is sorry for what he did to Christian," Katie Glass said. "How can you shoot somebody five times — five times. He treated him like he was nothing. He was somebody. He mattered to all of us. He had so much to offer the world.”
Christian Glass' mother Sally Glass said her family will never be the same. She still remembers flying back home to England with her son's ashes in her backpack.
They now feel fear toward police. It's something Christian Glass' American friends feel too, she said, adding that they never know what sort of officer they're going to interact with.
“That’s what you have to remember, when you’re being violent and cruel and swearing at somebody — people are petrified," she said. "They’re scared and they freeze and they don’t know what to say, and they panic.”
“And I think you've got away with murder," she continued. "I do, because you deliberately and maliciously had killed our son and shot him five times for no reason... I feel you lucked out.”
She described her son as a very gentle boy in a family of gentle men.
"So, when you started being aggressive with him, all you did was increase his terror. You’re a bully and even though he was terrified, you kept going," she said.
Chief Deputy District Potts told the court several members from the first jury came to Monday's sentencing because they wanted to see justice served. He added that the probation office had recommended a DOC sentence, which is rare for somebody with no prior felony criminal history.
“That is extremely telling," he said, and then asked for the maximum sentence of three years in prison, consecutive with the reckless endangerment charge.
Buen then had the chance to speak. Through tears, he said the Glass family has every right to feel the way they do. He apologized and said he prays for the young man and his family.
“There is nothing I can do or say that can change the past," he said. "There's a million things I should have done better that night. And when I look back at it, every day I wish that I did. I know my actions and decisions that night are what escalated the situation. And Christian deserved better. You all deserved better.”
“Part of the reason I wanted to get into law enforcement is to change the view of law enforcement," he continued. "And my actions did the opposite. I’ll forever regret that I let so many people down.”
His mother also apologized to the Glass family, saying she also lost her son that night as he has not been the same. Now, Buen wants to make amends with Christian Glass' family and friends, but also to society, she said.
He has always taken responsibility for what he did that night, though she acknowledged that the Glass family may not believe that, she said.
“He's always put others ahead of his own," Buen's mother said. "Andrew never became an officer wanting to take a life. I know he made mistakes that night and they resulted in another young man's death. But also, he will live with that pain for the rest of his life.”
Buen's older sister also spoke about his character and her love for him.
“I can’t speak to losing a child, thank God, but I can tell you about the unbearable pain of watching your brother slip away," his sister said. "... We’re a shell of the family we once were.”
The defense addressed the court, saying that Buen has wanted to apologize for a long time.
“I'm not asking for anything specific sentencing-wise, other than asking you to listen to everything that Andrew has said, everything that his family has said," the defense attorney said. "Take that into account and understand that the person who sits here in front of you is a good human and I say that not just because I'm his attorney, but because I've gotten to know him very well over these past three years.”
The defense also asked for the sentences to run concurrently with each other.
At the end of the hearing, the judge said she had heard from both sides and the dramatic impacts.
“It's really kind of amazing to me how Mr. Buen, who I truly believe is a kind and gentle and loyal person — the shirt-off-your-back kind of guy — as soon as you put a uniform on him and give him a gun, it changes everything," the judge said. "I think this was about power. It wasn’t a mistake. It was about, ‘You need to listen to me because I’m in charge.' ... We need to punish and we need to promote respect for the law, and those things outweigh all of the really good qualities that Mr. Buen has and will still have when he finishes his sentence.”
She then sentenced him to the maximum of three years in prison.
Other law enforcement involved in this case
Several other law enforcement officers were charged in connection with this case.
Former Clear Creek County deputy Kyle Gould pleaded guilty to ignoring his duty to report use of force and intervene in November 2023. Gould was sentenced to two years of probation and a $1,000 fine. He was also barred from working in law enforcement or security in Colorado. In exchange for his guilty plea, the charges of criminally negligent homicide and reckless endangerment were dropped in the case.
Hearings are set for the four others accused:
- Idaho Springs Police Officer Brittany Morrow (Disposition hearing in May)
- Georgetown Police Officer Timothy Collins (Status hearing in May)
- Georgetown Marshal Randolph Williams (Jury trial starts in June)
- Colorado State Trooper Ryan Bennie (Jury trial starts in June)
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