A former deputy sheriff in Colorado has received a three-year prison sentence after being convicted of criminally negligent homicide in the death of a man during a mental health crisis. Andrew Buen, who worked for the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office, was sentenced on April 14.
The incident occurred early in the morning on June 10, 2022, when 22-year-old Christian Glass called 911 for help after his car became stuck near Silver Plume, Colorado. Reports indicate that Glass was experiencing a mental health crisis at the time, fearing for his safety and mentioning “skinwalkers” during the call.
Authorities attempted to assist Glass, but after he refused to exit his vehicle for over an hour, they broke his window. In response, he reportedly grabbed a knife from inside the car. The situation escalated when Buen deployed a Taser, and shortly after, he shot Glass five times.
Initially, in 2024, Buen faced charges of reckless endangerment but the jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision on a second-degree murder charge. In a retrial held in February, he was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide.
Following the charges, the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office terminated Buen’s employment. In court, he expressed remorse, stating, “I wish I could take it all back.”
In a related development, Glass’s family settled a lawsuit against local authorities for $19 million. Glass’s mother highlighted the pain of loss, stating, “Money doesn’t bring Christian back. Quite frankly, him going to prison doesn’t bring Christian back.”
