Police officers’ ‘duty to intervene’ is enshrined into law. But will it prevent killings like Christian Glass?
Seven officers from a half-dozen agencies crowded around a car just after midnight on June 11, 2022 near a tiny old mining town in Colorado. Behind the wheel was Christian Glass, a scared 22-year-old who’d called 911 after his car became stuck on rocks; he was having some type of mental health crisis, repeatedly telling officers he was afraid to get out of the car.
He’d committed no crime, but Clear Creek Sgt Kyle Gould, supervising remotely, gave his deputies permission to breach the vehicle. They first alternated between coaxing and sternly ordering Christian out, and then, about an hour after they arrived and joined by officers from other agencies, more aggressively demanded that he exit.
Officers swarmed the car as Christian became more terrified in the driver’s seat. One jumped on the hood, and two more deployed tasers – as Christian cried, prayed and screamed, thrashing around inside the vehicle while clutching a small geological knife he’d earlier offered to toss out of the car.
The man who’d told him not to throw it, Clear Creek deputy Andy Buen, fired five shots into the vehicle, killing. Christian had never left the car.
“Oh my god,” one officer
