IDAHO SPRINGS, Colo. — A group of demonstrators gathered in Idaho Springs Tuesday evening to mourn Christian Glass and demand accountability from law enforcement for his death.
Glass was shot and killed by a Clear Creek County sheriff’s deputy in June after he called 911 for vehicle assistance from the side of the road. He had told 911 dispatchers he had two knives with him for his work as an amateur geologist. A press release from the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office at the time alleged that Glass tried to attack an officer. Attorneys for Glass’s family, however, argue that body camera footage since obtained tells a much different story.
At least 80 people attended the vigil Tuesday. Among them were Christian Glass’s mother and sisters, and dozens of residents of Clear Creek County in disbelief that their small community has found itself the subject of international headlines through this incident. In the three months since Glass’s death, vigil attendees said they have lost trust in their law enforcement and elected leaders.
“I will not rest until justice is served,” organizer Lisa Stamm told the crowd. “I will not be quiet.”
Deputy Andrew Bruen, who shot and killed Glass, was put on administrative leave for a few days following the incident, but is now back on the job. This, vigil organizers said, is unacceptable.
“They have had zero accountability,” Stamm said of law enforcement. “Something must be done. We can no longer be quiet as a community.”
For much of the vigil, Glass’s mother and sister listened silently with lit candles in hand. Towards the end of the ceremony, mother Sally Glass stepped forward to thank the crowd for their support and to remember and honor her son.
“It shouldn’t have happened,” Glass said of her son’s death. “But it did, and we have to learn to live with our loss. And I just think, pray, pray, pray, that changes will happen and it doesn’t happen to somebody else.”
Organizers of the vigil said the event was just one step in their plan to demand accountability from law enforcement, and they are considering recall attempts for elected officials, including the Clear Creek County sheriff.
