Charges against three officers involved in the 2022 fatal shooting of Christian Glass have been dropped, as confirmed by the Colorado Judicial Branch. The case, which has brought scrutiny on police response and intervention, saw Idaho Springs police officer Brittany Morrow, former Georgetown police officer Timothy Collins, and Colorado State Patrol trooper Ryan Bennie facing allegations for not intervening to prevent the excessive use of force. They reached a plea agreement resulting in the dismissal of their charges, according to KDVR.
As obtained by KDVR, 5th Judicial District Attorney Heidi McCollum explained the factors behind the plea deal, which involved assessments that a jury would not likely find the individuals guilty, given the outcome of a related trial against Andrew Buen, the former Clear Creek County deputy who shot Glass. Also of consideration was the toll the legal process was taking on Christian Glass' family, who, McCollum notes, was consulted at every step of the case.
The plea agreement, as reported by 9NEWS, includes requirements for additional training on de-escalation and mental health response for the three officers. Significantly, they also participated in the creation of a training video detailing their perspectives on the incident, meant to educate other law enforcement officers on what not to do during such encounters.
Amid the case's developments, the Glass family was awarded a $19 million settlement from Clear Creek County, as reported by CPR. This figure stands as the largest known police settlement in the state. Colorado State Patrol Colonel Matthew Packard expressed relief over the dismissal of charges against Trooper Bennie, stressing the agency's commitment to continuous improvement. "While I wish the process to arrive at this outcome would have been different, particularly in avoiding an unnecessary criminal charge against Trooper Bennie, I also understand the complexities involved," Packard said, as obtained by CPR.
Andrew Buen, who directly shot and killed Glass, was convicted of criminally negligent homicide and reckless endangerment, receiving a sentence of three years in jail. As part of their adjudicated agreements, other officers, including Sgt. Kyle Gould, had previously faced charges, with Gould's police certification in Colorado being revoked following a guilty plea. The only pending case now is against former Georgetown police officer Randy Williams, who is set to go to trial soon, as reported by 9NEWS. McCollum declined to comment on Williams' active case, but did share that dropping the charges against the three officers spares the Glass family from the ordeal of enduring more trials.
