A former Colorado sheriff’s deputy is facing sentencing after being found guilty of criminally negligent homicide for shooting a 22-year-old man who had called 911 for help. Back in 2022, Christian Glass was going through a mental health crisis and ended up in a tense standoff with police after refusing to leave his SUV near the small town of Silver Plume. What should’ve been a welfare call tragically turned fatal when former deputy Andrew Buen shot and killed him, reported the Independent.
Jurors reached a verdict in February, finding Buen guilty of criminally negligent homicide—a charge that typically comes with a sentence of probation to three years in prison. This was his second trial. In the first one, he was only convicted of reckless endangerment for putting other officers at risk by opening fire, but the jury couldn’t agree on more serious charges like murder or official misconduct.
With support from Glass’s parents, prosecutors pushed for a second-degree murder charge in the retrial. Jurors had the option to go for that or the lesser charge of negligent homicide—and they landed on the latter.
Prosecutors argued that Buen unnecessarily escalated things, saying Glass showed clear signs of mental distress and posed no real threat from inside his car. Although Glass had a knife, the defense claimed Buen fired to protect a fellow officer, and that he was legally justified in doing so.
Glass’s death drew national attention and sparked calls for major changes in how police deal with mental health emergencies. His parents were awarded a massive $19 million settlement, and the case has since become a touchpoint in discussions about policing reform.
Convicting officers on serious charges like this is still rare. Experts say juries often give police the benefit of the doubt, especially in high-pressure situations.
This case follows another high-profile one in Colorado—the death of Elijah McClain, whose name became a rallying cry for justice back in 2020. In that case, a police officer and two paramedics were found guilty of criminally negligent homicide. One paramedic also got a second-degree assault conviction but was later released from prison and given probation instead.
Now, all eyes are on what sentence Buen will receive—whether it’s prison time or probation, the verdict already sends a strong message about accountability.