Failure to intervene charges dropped for 3 officers in Christian Glass death
A spokesperson for the Colorado Judicial Branch confirmed to FOX31 on Wednesday that charges of failure to intervene in the excessive force of another law enforcement officer were dropped for Idaho Springs police officer Brittany Morrow, former Georgetown police officer Timothy Collins and Colorado State Patrol trooper Ryan Bennie. Similar charges were also dropped for two other officers late last year.
FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox
CSP Col. Matthew C. Packard released the following statement:
'This case began when the Glass family suffered the loss of their son, a loss that should never have occurred. I was very pleased to learn about the agreement reached between the 5th Judicial District Attorney's Office and Trooper Ryan Bennie, specifically that the criminal charges he faced would be dismissed. While I wish the process to arrive at this outcome would have been different, particularly in avoiding an unnecessary criminal charge against Trooper Bennie, I also understand the complexities involved. Our agency will continue its efforts to learn and grow following our involvement in incidents as a part of our drive for continuous improvement. The Colorado State Patrol is glad to have Trooper Bennie continue his professional service to the people of Colorado as a member of our agency.'
The charges stemmed from June 2022, when Glass' car broke down in Clear Creek County and he called for help. During the call, he told dispatchers that he had possible weapons in his car, including knives and a hammer, which his family said were for an amateur geology trip.
Several law enforcement officers responded. Body-worn camera footage showed that deputies with the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office broke a window of his vehicle, shot him with bean bags and used a Taser against him before a deputy shot him six times.
More than a dozen officers faced charges in the case.
Former Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office deputy Andrew Buen was convicted of criminally negligent homicide in Glass' death and was sentenced to three years in the Department of Corrections.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Colorado State Patrol seeing more DUIs with children in the car, victim's advocate speaks out
Colorado State Patrol says troopers are seeing increases with parents, loved ones, and caregivers driving behind the wheel intoxicated, while their children are in the car. CSP says its Victim's Advocate Unit responds to at least 24 cases a month. Six current advocates are responding to at least four cases a month. When a driver is pulled over for a DUI charge, they face child abuse charges as well. When a driver is pulled over for a DUI and there's a child in the car, a victim advocate is in charge of making sure the kid is safe and remains calm. The advocate will keep the child distracted with toys, coloring books, and conversation. Their main job is to keep kids away from the adult who was allegedly driving while intoxicated while troopers finish their investigation. The victim's advocate is called the moment the trooper sees a kid in the car and the driver shows signs of intoxication. This includes alcohol, prescription pills, cannabis, and anything recreational. If the child is young, like an infant or toddler, the victim advocate will contact the next of kin to pick up the child. If the child is old enough to speak, the victim advocate will ask them which adult they feel comfortable with. With both directions, the adult contacted must be sober and not have any warrants. The Victim's Advocate Unit says in many cases, after their investigation, they find out the child has been in this type of situation way more than once. "Many times, we have found out that these children have been put in harm's way more than two, three or even four times by the same parent," Dolores Poeppel, director of Victim Services Unit for CSP. "It's very important that we report it to DHS because we really feel like we are the voice for these children who have been in these circumstances numerous times." If the next of kin is out of town, the Victim's Advocate Unit will work with local hospitals and law enforcement to keep the children safe until they arrive. The person caught driving under the influence will be arrested and face charges of child abuse and DUI. These are two separate charges.
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Police deny wrongdoing in death of Alabama man, dispute family's account
Police officers in Alabama who were involved in the arrest of a man who died while handcuffed were not at fault, officials said, disputing an account from the man's family who are calling for the officers to be charged. Police employed no excessive force in the events leading up to the August 2024 arrest and death of Phillip Reeder, 52, the City of Irondale and its police department said in a joint statement late Monday. The Birmingham suburb's announcement came hours after attorneys for Reeder's family shared a county coroner's report that said Reeder's death was a homicide caused by a 'combination of his heart disease, cocaine, injuries, and exertion from the altercation' with police. Attorneys for the family said an police officer kneeled on Reeder's neck and compared what happened to Reeder with what happened to George Floyd in 2020 — an incident that captured the country's attention and renewed scrutiny of police practices. Reeder was white; Floyd was Black. In autopsies, the term homicide has a medical definition that is different from a criminal one. In a medical context, homicide means that a death is caused at the hands of another person, but does not necessarily mean someone is criminally guilty. Both the police department and Reeder's wife, Sandra Lee Reeder, agree that police officers were dispatched to a local highway just after 5 a.m. on Aug. 6, 2024, after multiple 911 complaints of a man behaving erratically and running into traffic. Reeder continued to run in the road, shouting, when officers approached him, ignoring 'multiple commands to comply,' the city statement said. Officers then shocked Reeder with a Taser, saying he 'posed a danger to himself and others.' After officers handcuffed him, 'Mr. Reeder continued to struggle and resist for almost two minutes,' the statement read. Officers used their arms to restrain Reeder, it said, but 'No knee was placed in the back of his neck, and no excessive force was used.' The statement emphasized that Reeder had a history of 'hypertensive heart disease,' which the coroner said contributed to his death. The statement underscored the portion of the autopsy that said 'the blunt force injuries alone would not account for Mr. Reeder's death.' It also said that the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the state agency tasked with investigating the incident, found no wrongdoing and that the Jefferson County District Attorney didn't see evidence 'sufficient for criminal charges' against the officers involved. Reeder's wife, Sandra Lee Reeder, offered an account Monday that was starkly different. She and her attorney say they saw body camera footage of the incident on July 18, after almost a year of asking the city and police department for more information on Reeder's death. The video showed 'no attempt from the Irondale police officers to talk Phillip down,' Reeder's wife said at a news conference. She said that her husband was unarmed and was suffering from a mental health crisis. Sandra Lee Reeder said an officer put a knee on Reeder's neck for approximately three minutes after he was shocked with the Taser. She said her husband can be heard saying 'I can't breathe' three times while he was restrained. The body camera footage has not been released publicly because of an Alabama law that governs release of police recordings. The law says an agency may choose to not disclose a recording to the public if it would affect an active law enforcement investigation, but does not require an agency to provide a reason for denying a request. Reeder's family attorney, Roderick Van Daniel, has urged authorities to release the bodycam video to the public. ___ Riddle reported from Montgomery, Alabama. She is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Alabama man's death is ruled a homicide after police kneeled on his neck
Alabama Police Death The death of an unarmed 52-year-old man who died after an Alabama police officer kneeled on his neck was ruled a homicide by a county coroner, according to an official autopsy reviewed by The Associated Press. The finding led lawyers representing Phillip Reeder's family on Monday to compare his death to that of George Floyd in 2020. The report issued by the Jefferson County medical examiner's office concludes Reeder, of Irondale, Alabama, died last August of heart failure "associated with cocaine use and restraint during altercation." Officers in the Alabama suburb 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Birmingham were dispatched to a local highway just after 5 a.m. on August 6, 2024, after one of Reeder's colleagues called 911 to report a medical emergency, according to Reeder's wife, Sandra Lee Reeder. Phillip Reeder, who owned a construction company, was driving home from a job in Memphis, Tennessee, she said. At the time, police said Reeder was wandering in and out of traffic when they approached him, according to Body camera video of Reeder's death has not been released publicly, but Sandra Lee Reeder and her attorneys said they reviewed it last week. A 2023 state law that governs release of police recordings says the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency may choose to not disclose the recording if it would affect an active law enforcement investigation. An email seeking comment from the Irondale police chief was sent Monday morning. Sandra Lee Reeder said that the body camera footage shows her husband running from police when they arrived. Police then shocked Reeder with a Taser, placed him in handcuffs and laid him on his stomach, she said. One officer put his knee on Reeder's neck for over three minutes, she said. Sandra Lee Reeder said her husband can be heard saying 'I can't breathe' three times. The autopsy said Reed had multiple non-leathal wounds and bruising from the attempted arrest by the police. Sandra Lee Reeder said she could see he was bleeding from his face in the video. Reeder was unresponsive when the officer rolled him over onto his back, according to the coroner's report. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital just after 6:30 a.m. Harry Daniels, an attorney for the Reeder family, compared the fatality to the death of George Floyd in 2020, which prompted months of protests and widespread scrutiny over police tactics. 'This world was captivated and shocked about what happened in 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 2024, the exact same thing happened,' Daniels said at a news conference outside Irondale City Hall on Monday. Daniels said that the only difference between what happened to Reeder and Floyd is race: Reeder was white and Floyd was Black. Reeder may have committed misdemeanor disorderly conduct by wandering into traffic, but 'it is not warranted for a knee in the back — that is deadly force,' he said. Reeder's two sons said that they also reviewed the body camera video of their father's last moments this month after almost a year of asking the local police department and state agency for more information. 'What I have gone through these past 11 months should not happen to any 19-year-old,' Zachariah Phillip Reeder said. ___ Riddle reported from Montgomery, Alabama. She is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
