Ex-sheriff’s deputy pleads guilty to failing to intervene in fatal shooting
A former Colorado sheriff’s deputy pleaded guilty this week to failing to intervene in connection with the fatal shooting last year of a man who called 911 for roadside assistance, prosecutors said Friday. Six other law enforcement officers who responded to the 911 call were also charged in the case.
As part of a plea agreement, former sheriff’s deputy Kyle Gould, who worked for the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Department, was sentenced Thursday to two years’ probation and will be barred from working in law enforcement. according to the Fifth Judicial District in a rack. Under the deal, the more serious charges of negligent homicide and reckless endangerment filed against Mr. Gould in the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Christian Glass were dropped.
Bob Weiner, a lawyer representing Mr. Gould, said Friday that Mr. Gould was home and off duty on June 10, 2022, the night of the shooting. Still, it was determined that Mr. Gould had played a role in the fatal shooting as the supervisor of one of the officers who responded to the 911 call.
The shooting led to a $19 million settlement for Mr. Glass’ family and prompted the Colorado State Patrol to change the way its officers train to handle stressful situations.
Heidi McCollum, the district attorney for the Fifth Judicial District, said in the statement that “law enforcement officers must be held accountable for their actions in carrying out their trusted public service duties.”
Mr. Glass had called 911 on June 10, 2022, after his vehicle became stuck on a mountain road outside Denver overnight. About six law enforcement officers from various agencies who responded to the call tried for more than an hour to convince Mr. Glass to get out of the vehicle.
Mr. Glass had a knife in his hand and the situation later escalated. The officers used a stun gun on Mr. Glass and fired beanbag rounds at him before fatally shooting him. Sally Glass, his mother, has previously said her son “had a mental health episode.”
The Denver Post reported that Steve Potts, the chief deputy district attorney in the Fifth Judicial District, told the court Thursday that the night of the shooting, Mr. Gould was contacted at his home by Deputy Andrew Buen of the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office and that Mr Gould had approved the actions that ultimately led to Mr Glass’s death.
Lawyers for the Glass family said Mr. Buen shot and killed Mr. Glass.
Mr. Buen was charged last year with manslaughter, official misconduct and reckless endangerment. According to the district attorney’s office, Mr. Buen pleaded not guilty to all three charges on Nov. 2. His next court hearing is scheduled for December 20.
The six law enforcement officers charged Thursday each face one count of failure to intervene, a misdemeanor, the district attorney’s office said. The officers charged were Randy Williams, the Georgetown city marshal; Officer Timothy Collins of the Georgetown Police Department; Officer Brittany Morrow of the Idaho Springs Police Department; Trooper Ryan Bennie of the Colorado State Patrol; and officers Christa Lloyd and Mary J. Harris of the Colorado Division of Gaming. Marshal Williams was also charged with third-degree assault.
Lawyers representing Mr. Glass’s family said in a statement Thursday that the six law enforcement officers charged all had “ample opportunity to stop the unjustified and senseless use of force against Christian Glass.”
“They participated in and facilitated a plan to use criminal and unlawful force against Christian,” the attorneys said. “If any of these six officers had stepped up to do the right thing, Christian would still be alive today.”
The six indicted law enforcement officers did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday.
It was unclear Friday whether they had lawyers. They will all appear in court on December 12.
Chief Nathan Buseck of the Idaho Springs Police Department said in a statement Friday that he “strongly” believed that “Officer Morrow was in no position to intervene.” Officer Morrow will continue to perform patrol duties as the case develops, he said.
Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol, said in a statement that he “found no evidence that Trooper Bennie violated any Colorado State Patrol policies or training.”
“I am shocked by the district attorney’s decision to file charges against Trooper Bennie,” said Col. Packard, adding that Trooper Bennie would be reassigned to an administrative position.
The Colorado Division of Gaming declined to comment Friday, citing ongoing litigation. Georgetown police did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.