Former Clear Creek County sheriff’s Deputy Andrew Buen arrives at the Clear Creek County Courthouse in Georgetown, Colorado, on April 15, 2024. Buen was on trial on charges of second-degree murder, reckless endangerment and official misconduct in connection with the the death of 22-year-old Christian Glass after Glass called 911 for help in 2022. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)
A second jury trial has been scheduled for the former Clear Creek County sheriff’s deputy who shot and killed Christian Glass, signaling the criminal prosecution will continue just days after jurors failed to reach a verdict on the murder charge in an initial trial.
Andrew Buen, 30, is now scheduled to stand trial again in August on charges of second-degree murder and official misconduct for killing Glass on June 10, 2022.
He was convicted Friday of misdemeanor reckless endangerment after a jury trial, but jurors deadlocked on the more serious charges of second-degree murder and official misconduct.
Eleven of the 12 jurors wanted to find Buen guilty of second-degree murder during their deliberations, but one hold-out juror stopped the group from delivering a verdict, said Siddhartha Rathod, an attorney for the Glass family. Verdicts must be unanimous.
On Tuesday, Rathod said he hopes Buen will plead guilty to second-degree murder instead of going forward with the second jury trial, which is scheduled to start Aug. 12.
“I don’t think he should put Simon and Sally through this again,” Rathod said, referring to Glass’ parents, who attended the initial jury trial. “I’m hopeful he pleads guilty… he should plead guilty to the top charge.”
Buen’s attorney did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday.
Buen shot Glass after the 22-year-old called 911 for help when his car got stuck on a rock in Clear Creek County. When Glass refused to leave his car, officers eventually broke his window and attempted to force him out. During the ensuing chaos, Glass thrust a knife toward an officer and Buen shot him several times.
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Prosecutors said during the jury trial that Glass, who spoke of seeing “skinwalkers,” was experiencing a mental health crisis and that police had no legal justification to force him out of the car, because he had committed no crime.
Buen’s defense attorneys argued Glass was high on drugs — he had amphetamine and marijuana in his system — and that officers had to pull him out of the vehicle in order to investigate a potential DUI.
A separate grand jury investigation into the incident in 2022 found Glass committed no crime, acted in panic and self-defense before he was killed, and never actually came close to stabbing the officers.
The involved law enforcement agencies agreed to a $19 million settlement with Glass’ parents in May.
Buen was fired after he was indicted.
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