Either Christian Glass spent the final hour of his life in fear for his life during a mental health crisis or he was a deadly threat to police, high on drugs in a car packed with lethal weapons.

These were the opposing prosecution and defense theories presented during opening statements on Friday in the trial of the former Clear Creek County deputy who shot Glass five times June 11, 2022, killing him.

Defendant Andrew Buen, dressed in a navy blue suit and dark-rimmed glasses, did not appear to look at Glass’ parents, who sat in the front row flanked by their attorney and several friends.

Buen, 30, is charged with second degree murder, reckless endangerment and official misconduct in Glass’ death.

Heidi McCollum, 5th Judicial District Attorney, told a 12-woman, two-man jury on Thursday that Buen’s behavior that night was “aggressive, excessive and criminal.”

Police body-worn camera videos of the 70-minute encounter, which ended with Glass’ death, have been widely shown and analyzed.

Glass had called 911 for help when his 2017 Honda Pilot got stuck between two large rocks.

When his voice was heard on the call in court, Sally Glass doubled over, sobbing at the sound of her child’s voice. Her husband, Simon, held her, also crying. At times, several jurors stole a glance their way. 

On the 10-minute 911 call, Glass apologized to the 911 dispatcher.

“I’m stuck,” he said, and then told her that he had a “protection crystal” and, because of that, everything would be fine. He also told her that he had recently had a “spiritual awakening” and was driving in the mountains looking for a “spot in the mountains to relax.” He told her that other drivers on the highway caused him to turn off. 

He spoke of “skin-walkers” who might be after him and he appeared to be hyperventilating. 

While anticipating making a U-turn, he got stuck outside of Silverplume.

“I’m far in over my head. I shouldn’t have ended up in this s*** town up in the mountains,” he told the dispatcher. 

He also told her that he loved her. 

Paige Kincade, a Clear Creek County 911 dispatcher and the first witness, testified that Glass was paranoid and “not making much sense” on the call. Prosecutors echoed that sentiment indicating that Glass was having a mental health breakdown that night, describing him as a scared 22-year-old who “spent the last hour-and-a-half of his life in absolute fear.” 

Body-worn camera footage showed that when Buen and fellow Clear Creek Sheriff deputy Tim Collins first approached his car that night, Glass asked them, “Are you going to shoot me?”

Collins, a former Clear Creek County deputy who accompanied Buen to the scene, assured Glass, “No, dude. We’re not going to shoot you,” the body-worn camera video showed. 

The last witness of the day was Kirby Lewis, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation Assistant Director for the Denver office. Lewis, the lead investigator in the case, testified that Buen shot five bullets into Glass’ windshield.

Carrie Slinkard, Buen’s attorney, told the jury that Glass was not having a mental health breakdown that night but instead was high on drugs and alcohol. She showed the jury photos on a projector screen of various items Glass had in his car that could turn into weapons, including three pairs of scissors, at least three knives, a baton and a hammer.

He also had a baggie of white powder, pill bottles and drug paraphernalia, photos of which she also showed on the big screen. 

On top of that, Slinkard questioned whether Glass had been driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, as he was sitting on top of “a half-smoked joint. It was sitting there caked in dried blood because that’s also where he was shot.” 

Slinkard said that Buen — who shot six bean bag rounds, tasered Glass (the taser was not effective) and shot him five times — was providing lethal cover for another law enforcement officer who was standing close to Glass’ car when the 22-year-old brandished a switchblade knife toward him.

“My client had no other choice at that moment in his mind than to shoot Mr. Glass and protect the chief,” she said, referring to former Georgetown police chief Randy Williams. 

Williams resigned from the force last month and has been charged with failure to intervene in Glass’ death along with five other officers. 

It was the largest number of law enforcement personnel to be charged at one time under Colorado Senate Bill 217, the sweeping law that went into effect in June 2021 after the death of George Floyd in the hands of Minneapolis police officer. 

Glass’ death happened a year after SB 217 was signed into law.

Buen’s supervisor, Kyle Gould, 37, received two years’ probation after pleading guilty to failing to intervene in excessive force by a peace officer.

Gould was the sergeant who gave an order to “breach” the window of Christian Glass’ car when Glass was shot by Buen through his car window.

The trial is expected to last two weeks.