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Clear Creek County Sheriff announces mid-term retirement amid criticism over response to Glass shooting

The sheriff has been criticized for not taking "adequate responsibility" for his department's shooting of Christian Glass.

GEORGETOWN, Colorado — In a Wednesday evening Facebook post, Clear Creek County Sheriff Rick Albers announced his retirement, just a month after county commissioners criticized him for not taking enough responsibility for the shooting death of Christian Glass.

“After 43 years of service to Clear Creek County, I am retiring and my last day will be Aug. 3rd 2023,” Albers wrote in a one sentence e-mail to county leaders, sent at 5:41 pm Wednesday.

In a longer Facebook post on the sheriff’s department’s page, Albers said his retirement came with “mixed emotions,” noting he has served the county for 43 years.

RETIREMENT OF SHERIFF RICK ALBERS 43 YEARS OF SERVICE It is with mixed emotions that I am announcing my retirement as...

Posted by Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday, July 12, 2023

In June, Clear Creek’s three county commissioners issued a joint statement criticizing the sheriff for not taking “adequate responsibility” for the shooting death of Christian Glass last summer and not moving fast enough to make meaningful reforms to the department to prevent a similar tragedy. All three commissioners stopped short of asking for the sheriff’s resignation. But in an interview with 9NEWS, two of them said if Albers wasn’t going to make the necessary changes, he should step aside and let someone else take the helm of the department.

RELATED: Clear Creek County leaders say not enough has changed after Christian Glass shooting

Albers was re-elected to his post in November. The county board will now appoint an interim sheriff until an interim election can be held in 2024, according to Clear Creek County Clerk and Recorder Brenda Corbett. The county would then elect another new sheriff in 2026 when Albers’ current term is set to officially end.  

The county commissioners will likely discuss next steps during a county board meeting next week.

RELATED: 'He did nothing wrong' | Christian Glass' parents say settlement finally clears his name

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