CLEAR CREEK COUNTY, Colo. —
The second day of what is expected to be a 2-week-long trial for Andrew Buen, one of the former Clear Creek County deputies charged in the death of 22-year-old Christian Glass, was heavy with video evidence central to the case.
Simon and Sally Glass left the Georgetown courtroom as body camera videos showing their son’s final moments were played for the jury that will decide the fate of Andrew Buen, the deputy who shot and killed Glass.
Buen is charged with second-degree murder, official misconduct and reckless endangerment.
Prosecutors presented the jury with body camera footage from cameras worn by both Buen and his then-partner, former Clear Creek Deputy Tim Collins, from the night of Glass’s death.
The videos follow both deputies, along with several other responding officers, through the 70-minute police encounter on the night of June 10, 2022.
WARNING: The following video contains content that may be disturbing to some viewers, including gunshots, violence and graphic language.
Prosecutors say Glass called 911 for help after he got his car stuck on a boulder in Silver Plume that night and that he appeared to be experiencing a mental health crisis when several officers engaged with him for more than an hour. Body camera footage shows Buen broke the car's window, shot Glass with bean bag rounds and used a Taser on him before shooting him five times in the chest.
The jury also watched video from an interview with Buen hours after the shooting, conducted by Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Agent Derek Graham.
Graham was the lead investigator in the case and was the only witness called to the stand Monday. His testimony will continue when trial resumes Tuesday morning.
The jury also heard a radio traffic audio recording of communications between Colorado State Patrol Trooper Ryan Bennie and his supervisor. Bennie was one of several other officers on scene that night. In the recording, Bennie and his supervisor mention an M-1 hold.
Graham explained that an M-1 hold is a mental health hold for people considered to be a danger to themselves or others.
The trial opened Friday afternoon, where opening statements from both sides presented markedly different theories of what happened the night of Glass’s death: one of a young man experiencing a mental health crisis, and the other of a man under the influence of drugs in a car with weapons.
Fifth Judicial District Attorney Heidi McCollum argued in opening statements that Buen’s actions that night were "aggressive, excessive and criminal." She said Glass was terrified and calling for help the night he was shot.
Buen's defense attorneys painted a different picture: one of investigative oversight and a larger threat to law enforcement.
Carrie Slinkard, an attorney for Buen, suggested Glass was under the influence of drugs and was more of a threat to the responding officers than the prosecution describes.
Following opening statements, the jury heard testimony from two witnesses. The first was Paige Kincaid, one of the dispatchers who answered Glass' call that night.
Kincaid testified that Glass' call was designated as a "motorist assist" for drivers in need of help. She said that Glass was designated "clean and valid," meaning he had no prior warrants and was a valid driver.
The second witness was Kirby Lewis, assistant director of investigative units at CBI's Denver office. Lewis was the first CBI investigator on scene, saying he arrived after several officers had already left. He said he has investigated more than 30 police-involved shootings.
Lewis said he conducted an interview with Georgetown Marshal Randy Williams, one of the responding officers. He told the jury that he assigned Graham to be lead investigator on the case.
In November 2022, a Clear Creek County grand jury indicted Buen alongside his supervisor, former Clear Creek deputy Kyle Gould, who wasn’t at the scene that night. According to court documents, Gould was watching the encounter with Glass via a livestreamed body-worn camera. He gave the order for Glass' driver's side window to be broken out.
The 5th Judicial District Attorney's Office offered plea deals to both former Clear Creek County deputies in September 2023.
Gould pleaded guilty in November to duty to report use of force by peace officers - duty to intervene.
He was sentenced to two years' unsupervised probation and was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine. As part of the plea agreement, Gould withdrew his POST certification and cannot work as a police officer or security guard in Colorado ever again.
Later that month, the DA’s office charged all six other officers on scene the night of Glass’s death for failing to intervene.
In May 2023, the Glass family was awarded $19 million in a settlement agreement with Clear Creek County, the Colorado State Patrol, the Georgetown Police Department and the Idaho Springs Police Department – all departments with officers on scene that night. Among the many noneconomic terms of the settlement, Clear Creek County has implemented a crisis response team to respond to calls. It is the largest police misconduct settlement in Colorado history.
View a full timeline of events in this case here:
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