Andrew Buen, a former sheriff’s deputy in Clear Creek County, was sentenced to three years in state prison. He was convicted for the criminally negligent homicide of Christian Glass. A jury convicted him in a second trial. This conviction was the result of his negligent actions that resulted in Elijah Glass’s death during a 2022 standoff. The court made a complete examination of the context in which the incident occurred. Then, it went beyond that and imposed the maximum penalty allowed by law.
Instead of de-escalating, on the night of the standoff Andrew Buen only heightened tensions with Glass, who was clearly in crisis. Prosecutors claimed that Rosenbaum had unreasonably instigated the situation, resulting in Glass’s death. Buen ended up being convicted of the far lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide. He was charged with a misdemeanor for recklessly endangering other officers after opening fire during the incident.
Buen told the court that he was sorry for his actions and apologized to the Glass family during sentencing.
“There are a million things I should have done better that night,” – Andrew Buen
She recalled that from the beginning, the Glass family had questioned the sincerity of his remorse. They challenged his motives and what lies behind the apology. More importantly, they stressed that his actions were more than a “mistake.” Instead, they underscored a deeper issue related to power and control.
A judge overseeing the case commented on the nature of the incident, stating, “I think this was about power. It wasn’t a mistake. It was about, ‘you need to listen to me because I’m in charge.’”
Even if the greater charges ended in an acquittal at the first trial. Fierce public opposition and emerging evidence forced a retrial. The jury ultimately concluded that Buen’s choices during the standoff were reckless and directly contributed to Glass’s tragic death.