CLEAR CREEK COUNTY, Colo. —
Family and friends on both sides of a murder trial milled anxiously around Georgetown on Friday, waiting for the jury to deliver a verdict that never came.
A jury could not reach a verdict on the second-degree murder charge for the former Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office deputy who shot and killed Christian Glass. Eleven jurors were in favor of convicting former Deputy Andrew Buen on all charges, including second-degree murder. Those 11 reached their decision within the first hours of deliberations, the Glass family attorney confirmed.
“Based on conversations with the jury it is our understanding that 11 of the 12 jurors found Deputy Buen guilty of second-degree murder within the first hours of the deliberation," Glass family attorney Siddhartha Rathod said in a statement. "This should send a message to Deputy Buen and the other criminal defendants that they will be held accountable for their actions.”
Buen was found guilty of the lesser charge of reckless endangerment, a Class 2 misdemeanor. The jury could not reach a verdict on the second lesser charge of official misconduct. The maximum sentence for reckless endangerment is up to 120 days in jail, a fine of up to $750, or both.
The parties will return to court on Monday to discuss sentencing.
Some jurors looked at the Glass family with tears in their eyes as the verdicts were read. Buen showed no emotion during the verdict and declined to speak with reporters as he left with his attorneys.
"Some of the jury looked right at me. They had tears in their eyes, maybe sorry that a verdict wasn't reached, or sorry that we lost our son? I don't know, but it was very sweet, very kind," Sally Glass said as she stood outside the Clear Creek County courtrooms.
With a jury deadlocked on two counts, decisions remain. The case could be taken to a new jury, or Buen could make a plea deal with the district attorney. It's not clear which will happen or when.
"The tenor of law enforcement in Clear Creek County has been tainted, and I don't know how long it's going to take for that taint to be lifted," 5th Judicial District Attorney Heidi McCollum said. "I wish this had never happened in my community."
The trial has been a two-week ordeal for both sides, with no final conclusion. When asked about the prospect of going through it again, Sally Glass said she couldn't think about it. She and her husband say they're taking everything one day at a time.
"For me, it's made it harder," Simon Glass said. "I hope that justice prevails."
The jury spent a little over 24 hours deliberating before delivering their verdict. The trial itself had eight days of testimony, during which the jurors heard from witnesses including Glass’ mother, a nationally renowned police use of force expert, 911 dispatchers and several law enforcement investigators.
The jury also watched several hours of graphic body camera footage from the night of Glass’ death.
> WARNING: The following video contains content that may be disturbing to some viewers, including gunshots, violence and graphic language.
Prosecutors said Glass was experiencing a mental health crisis when he called 911 for help after he got his car stuck on a boulder in Silver Plume in June 2022. Several officers engaged with him for more than an hour. After officers unsuccessfully tried to get Glass out of his car, Buen broke Glass' car window, shot him with bean bag rounds and used a Taser on him before shooting him five times in the chest.
Defense attorneys suggested that Glass was not experiencing a mental health crisis, and instead was drunk or on drugs when several officers engaged with him for more than an hour. They also said that evidence of driving under the influence was legal justification for forcing entry into Glass' car and Buen’s subsequent use of force.
For the Glass family, the legal process is not over. The DA’s office charged all six other officers who were on scene the night of Glass’ death for failing to intervene last November. Those cases have yet to be tried.
In November 2022, a Clear Creek County grand jury indicted Buen alongside his supervisor, former Clear Creek County deputy Kyle Gould, who wasn’t at the scene that night. According to court documents, Gould was watching the encounter with Glass via a live-streamed body-worn camera. He then 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 that November to duty to report use of force by peace officers - duty to intervene.
He was sentenced to two years' unsupervised probation and 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.
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 who were on scene that night. Among the many non-economic 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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