DENVER (AP) – A former Colorado sheriff's deputy, Andrew Buen, is scheduled for sentencing on Monday after being convicted in February of criminally negligent homicide related to the shooting death of 22-year-old Christian Glass. This case has garnered national attention and prompted changes in police training regarding responses to individuals in mental health crises. The tragic incident led to Glass's parents receiving a substantial settlement of $19 million.
Criminally negligent homicide charges typically result in a sentence ranging from probation to three years in prison. Buen was a deputy in Clear Creek County and was convicted after a second trial. Previously, a different jury found him guilty of misdemeanor reckless endangerment for endangering fellow officers when he opened fire. However, that jury could not reach a consensus on more serious charges, including murder or official misconduct.
Prosecutors, with the backing of Glass's family, chose to retry Buen on second-degree murder charges, giving the jurors the option to convict him on the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide. In their arguments, prosecutors contended that Buen escalated the standoff with Glass, who was exhibiting signs of a mental health crisis and refused to exit his SUV near Silver Plume, a small historical mining town along Interstate 70, west of Denver.
The defense, on the other hand, argued that Buen acted within his legal rights in shooting Glass, who was allegedly wielding a knife, in order to protect another officer. Convictions of law enforcement personnel on serious charges are notably rare, as expert analysts suggest jurors tend to extend benefit of the doubt towards officers in emergency situations.
This case is reminiscent of another high-profile incident in Colorado involving the death of Elijah McClain, a Black man whose death became a rallying cry for social justice movements across the United States in 2020. In 2023, a police officer and two paramedics involved in McClain's death were also found guilty of criminally negligent homicide. One of the paramedics received an additional conviction for second-degree assault, carrying a more severe prison sentence. However, a judge eventually decided to release him from prison, opting instead for probation.
The ongoing legal proceedings surrounding the deaths of individuals in police encounters continue to spark dialogue regarding mental health crisis response and the accountability of law enforcement officers. The outcomes of such trials not only impact those directly involved but also serve as a reflection of societal attitudes toward policing and mental health issues.
