Christian Glass’s parents flee courtroom before distressing police bodycam footage of his killing
The distraught parents of Christian Glass left the courtroom on Monday moments before prosecutors played graphic bodycam footage from the sheriff’s deputy charged with murdering their son.
Glass, 22, was killed in June 2022, less than two hours after calling 911 when his car became stuck off a rural dirt road late at night near the tiny mining town of Silver Plume, about 47 miles west of Denver, Colorado.
Former Clear Creek County Sheriff’s deputy Andrew Buen has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, reckless endangerment and first-degree official misconduct in connection with Glass’s killing.
Buen was the first officer to arrive on scene with his partner. Six officers from five different law enforcement agencies arrived later.
On Monday morning, Sally and Simon Glass exited the courtroom before the 13 women and two men in the jury box were shown Buen’s bodycam footage from the night. One juror subtly shook her head and stared open-mouthed as the footage played.
Jurors were shown almost the entirety of the footage, with prosecutors ending the tape after Glass’s body was pulled from the driver’s seat of his car.
Soon after Buen and his partner arrived, Glass can be heard asking in the video whether they are going to shoot him. He also requests they tow his vehicle to the police station, telling police he is scared to leave the car while visibly terrified.
Instead, Buen demands repeatedly that Glass exit the vehicle.
Officers spend more than an hour trying to convince Glass to get out, offering everything from food and drinks to cigarettes. He makes heart shapes with his hands and shows off rocks and crystals in the car he has gathered as an amateur geologist.
“I see you doing the heart thing with your hands; we love you too,” Idaho Springs Police Officer Brittany Morrow tells him. “We just want you to be safe.”
Georgetown Marshal Randy Williams, who also spends significant time trying to coax Christian gently from the car, tells him: “We’re not going to give you a hard time” – later adding: “You’re not scaring me … we’re just worried about you.”
It’s not long, however, before the situation esalates as officers try to break windows and remove Christian from the car, using tasers, bean bag rounds and shouted orders. Glass, during the effort, thrashes around, grabs a small knife and begins gesturing towards an officer from inside the vehicle. Shots can be heard on the bodycam footage.
Glass was pronounced dead at the scene.
The bodycam also included a muted “private” phone call between Buen and Sgt Kyle Gould, who was supervising remotely, and gave the order to breach the vehicle.
