A Clear Creek County jury on Friday heard opening statements in the second-degree murder trial of a former deputy sheriff over the death of 22-year-old Christian Glass. 

Andrew Buen — the Clear Creek County Deputy who shot and killed Glass on June 11, 2022 — was initially charged with second-degree murder, official misconduct and reckless endangerment.

The defendant pleaded not guilty in November 2023 after declining a plea deal from the Fifth Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

The first trial in April ended with a deadlock by one vote, with the jury finding Buen guilty of reckless endangerment but failing to come to an agreement on the more serious charges.

Now, nearly three years after the shooting occurred, a retrial has begun in a Georgetown courtroom. 

“At the end of this trial, it’s the people’s position that Andrew Buen knowingly caused the death of Christian Glass,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Joe Kirwan said in his opening statement.

Kirwan is the lead prosecutor this time. District Attorney Heidi McCollum took the lead in the last trial.

On the other side of the aisle, Buen’s defense will remain the same — spearheaded by attorney Carrie Slinkard.

“He had no motive, no reason to commit a violent crime, no reason to commit harm to this man,” Slinkard said during her opening argument.

Buen is the only one of eight officers involved in Glass’ death to face trial. Six others from five different jurisdictions were charged with failure to stop the situation. 

The district attorney’s office eventually dropped charges against two officers in December 2024.

The rest of the cases are going through the court process. 

The fatal shooting, which gained national attention, occurred on a remote mountain road near Silver Plume just before midnight.

Glass had turned off of I-70 eastbound to avoid cars on the highway, which he told the 911 dispatcher he thought were following him. He ended up stuck between two rocks.

After a discussion with a 911 dispatcher that involved speaking of “skin-walkers” who might be after him, potential hyperventilation and paranoia, Buen was one of the first two officers to arrive.

According to Slinkard, Glass mentioned to the dispatcher that he had multiple weapons and might need to kill the “skin-walkers.”

Officers attempted to get Glass out of the car and to roll his windows down for more than an hour. Buen broke a side window, fired six bean bag rounds, tased and then shot Glass five times, killing him. 

Both defense and prosecution noted that Glass had a switchblade knife and after police began trying to enter the car, he began stabbing himself.

Slinkard claimed that Buen was providing lethal cover for another law enforcement officer who was standing close to Glass’ car after he brandished the knife toward them.

In opening arguments, the prosecution argued that Glass was clearly having a mental health episode and the self-inflicted stabs to Glass’ neck and chest were not fatal, while the five shots fired by Buen were.

The prosecution said Buen acted unreasonably.

Colorado State Trooper Ryan Bennie was in contact with his supervising sergeant during the standoff and the sergeant asked what the crime was, according to the prosecution. After Bennie said that it was a mental health issue, the supervisor told Bennie that, if Glass wasn’t suicidal or homicidal, there was no crime or reason to have contact with him.

Slinkard argued that Buen was just acting in the moment to protect his peers, leading to the young man’s death that, he said, continues to weigh on him.

“It haunted his dreams back then, and it certainly haunts his dreams still, to this day,” she said.

“I don’t think the DA’s office will dispute that Christian’s behavior that night was abnormal. It was unpredictable,” she continued, adding Buen had to make a “split-second decision.”

She continued that she is worried the jury will see the evidence in hindsight, not fully empathizing with the pressure and decision-making required of Buen in that moment.

Trial will continue Monday morning.

The Denver Gazette reporter Carol McKinley contributed to this report