JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — A man accused of shooting a teenager who had allegedly trespassed on his Conifer property late last summer has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
Brent John Metz, 38, was charged with second-degree assault (reckless/causing serious bodily injury with a deadly weapon), two counts of felony menacing and illegal discharge of a firearm. At 1 p.m. on Monday, he pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
The prosecutors and defense had met several times and "exchanged materials" to possibly reach a settlement, but that was still in the works, the defense said Monday afternoon.
Denver7 began following this story after the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office released initial information about the case and arrest of Metz on Sept. 11, 2024.
That day, the sheriff's office said two teens had allegedly trespassed on Metz's property, along the 23000 block of Pleasant Park Road, while searching for a place to take homecoming photos. One of the homeowners called 911 to report the trespassers at 4:15 p.m., and then called her boyfriend, Metz.
When first responders arrived, they found two cars on the side of the road, and one 17-year-old who was bleeding from his face while another boy applied pressure to the wounds. A man, later identified as Metz, stood nearby. The injured teen told police that the two teens had been trying to find a place to take homecoming pictures and jumped the fence on the property to ask the homeowners for permission. However, they said nobody appeared home, so they walked back down the long driveway back to their car.
The sheriff's office said the teens returned to the car and started to write a note for the homeowners when Metz pulled up in a truck and fired one round through the other car's windshield. According to the affidavit, Metz tried to help, but the uninjured teen pushed him away.
Watch Denver7's coverage from the 2024 incident in the video below.
Metz was arrested on multiple charges. The two teens have not been named as they are juveniles.
Denver7 asked civil rights and criminal defense attorney Tyrone Glover about Colorado's Make My Day law, which allows you to use deadly force against an intruder inside your home, to see if it would apply in this case. Glover explained that the law does not apply to your yard or the area outside of your property.
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