Gov. Polis apologizes for death of Christian Glass

May 24 called Christian Glass Day

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis apologized to the parents of Christian Glass, the 22-year-old killed by a Clear Creek deputy in Silver Plume last year. He then declared May 24 Christian Glass Day and displayed Glass’ artwork that will be hung in

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the Capitol.

“What happened to Christian should not have happened,” Polis told Glass’ parents, Simon and Sally, in a live-steamed announcement on Facebook on May 24. “We are going to do the best we can to avoid any parents going through what you have gone through.” e announcement came a day after the family agreed to a $19-million settlement in the death. e state, Clear Creek County and two other agencies agreed to the settlement. O cers from multiple agencies were at the scene the night Glass was killed.

Clear Creek County is responsible for $10 million; Georgetown $5 million; the state $3 million; and Idaho Springs $1 million. It is the largest known single payout for police violence in the state’s history.

Glass died on the night of June 1011, 2022, after he called 911 for help because he was stranded in his car.

O cers asked Glass to leave his car, but he refused in what turned into an extended stando and mental health crisis that ended when o cers broke a car window and used a Taser on Glass. Clear Creek Sheri ’s Deputy Andrew Buen shot

Glass, killing him. Buen and another o cer, Kyle Gould, were later red and are facing charges, including second-degree murder.

Mom Sally Glass thanked Polis, saying the family didn’t want Christian to be forgotten.

“If he’s oating around, he would be so proud and happy to have his art displayed in the state Capitol,” she said. “His memory will live on in our hearts and minds.”

Dad Simon Glass added that what happened to Christian was a terrible crime.

“We hope it never happens again in Colorado or ideally the country,” he said.

Polis ended the short announcement by saying, “ ank you for sharing some of Christian with Colorado. is is a reminder of how we can do better, so these tragedies don’t happen again.”

More about Christian

According to a statement about Christian on the website of RathodMohamedbhai, the attorneys for the Glass family, “Christian was a young man of many talents with kindness that knew no bounds. Christian was loved beyond measure by his parents, sisters, extended family, friends, and community.

“Christian was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, by his mother, Sally

Glass, who is of British decent, and his father, Simon Glass, who is from New Zealand. e Glass family relocated to California when Christian was 10 and eventually moved to Boulder, Colorado.

“Christian had an array of specialties and interests. He was an avid tennis fan and player, a trained chef who loved to cook, and also a self-taught artist with an innate gift. Christian used many mediums to make his art, but the majority of his pieces involved oil painting and oil pencil.”

More about the settlement

A statement from Clear Creek Sheri Rick Albers acknowledged “that his o cers failed to meet expectations in their response to Christian Glass when he called for assistance,” calling events on the night of Glass’ death “disturbing.”

“ e sheri has undertaken measures intended to prevent a future failure,” a statement in the wake of the settlement announcement read. “He has been working with partners to establish a program of county-wide crisis response. “

Albers also acknowledged that the “initial press release” describing events surrounding Glass’ death “did not give an accurate description of what occurred.”

“Rather, as stated in the conclusion of the investigative report subsequently issued by the Douglas County Sheri ’s O ce after an independent review requested by Sheri Albers, the deputy who killed Christian Glass