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GEORGETOWN — The two former Clear Creek County sheriff’s deputies charged in the killing of a 22-year-old Boulder man appeared in court Monday for the first time since being indicted last month.
Clear Creek County District Judge Catherine Cheroutes advised the two former deputies — Andrew Buen and Kyle Gould — of the charges a grand jury indicted them on last month.
Buen is charged with second-degree murder, official misconduct and reckless endangerment for shooting and killing Christian Glass on June 11. Sgt. Kyle Gould faces charges of criminally negligent homicide and reckless endangerment.
Glass called 911 for help after crashing his car in Silver Plume while experiencing delusions and paranoia. He at first communicated with officers on scene while he sat in the front seat of his car, but eventually stopped responding to them. After nearly an hour, Gould authorized the seven law enforcement officers on scene to forcibly extract Glass from his car.
The officers broke the car’s windows and used beanbag rounds and Tasers on Glass before Glass swung a knife in the direction of Georgetown police Marshal Randy Williams, who was standing next to the broken backseat window behind Glass. Buen then shot and killed Glass.
The grand jury that indicted Buen and Gould found that there was no reason for officers to remove Glass from the car as there was no evidence he committed a crime and he was not a danger to others.
“But for the decision by Gould to remove Mr. Glass from the vehicle there is no reason to believe that Mr. Glass would have been a danger to any law enforcement personnel, to himself or to any member of the public, and the decision to remove him from the vehicle directly led to the death of Mr. Glass,” the indictment states.
The grand jury also found Glass acted “in a state of complete panic and self-defense” when he swung the knife and that Williams was never in danger of being stabbed.
Buen and Gould were fired from the sheriff’s office after the indictment. Both men remained free on bond Monday.
The court hearing Monday was the first time that Glass’ parents, Sally and Simon, were in the same room as the deputy who shot and killed their son.
“It was so hard to see that murderous man in court,” Sally Glass told reporters after the hearing.
The Glass family opposed Gould’s request to be able to leave the state to visit family over Christmas, but the judge approved the travel.
It’s not fair that he gets to spend Christmas with his family but the Glass family will never get to spend holidays with Christian again, the couple said.
“Christmas is going to be very hard for us,” Simon Glass said.
They also called for accountability for the other officers on scene who did not stop Buen. Failing to intervene in an officer’s excessive use of force is a crime under Colorado law, Sally Glass said.
“We really hope that everyone involved is held accountable,” Simon Glass said.
Buen and Gould are next scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 30.
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