Daijiworld Media Network – Denver

Denver, Apr 14: Former Clear Creek County sheriff’s deputy Andrew Buen is set to be sentenced Monday for the 2022 shooting death of Christian Glass, a 22-year-old who had called 911 for help while in mental distress. Buen was convicted in February of criminally negligent homicide, a charge that typically carries a sentence ranging from probation to three years in prison.

The case garnered national attention and led to reforms in how Colorado law enforcement respond to mental health emergencies. Glass's parents were awarded a USD 19 million settlement, one of the largest in the state's history.

Glass was shot and killed after he refused to exit his vehicle during a standoff near Silver Plume, a mountain town west of Denver. Prosecutors argued that Buen unnecessarily escalated the situation, even though Glass showed clear signs of a mental health crisis and posed no immediate threat. The defence maintained Buen acted to protect a fellow officer, citing Glass’s possession of a knife.

This was Buen’s second trial. A previous jury in 2023 convicted him of reckless endangerment for endangering fellow officers, but could not agree on more serious charges including second-degree murder and official misconduct.

Despite the challenges of prosecuting law enforcement officers who jurors often give the benefit of the doubt in high-stress situations prosecutors retried Buen with the support of Glass’s family.

The case has drawn comparisons to the 2023 convictions in the death of Elijah McClain, another Colorado man whose name became a symbol in the 2020 social justice movement. In that case, two paramedics and a police officer were convicted of criminally negligent homicide, although one paramedic, initially sentenced to prison, was later given probation.

Buen's sentencing is expected to reflect not just the legal outcome, but the public outcry over how law enforcement handles individuals in mental health crises.