Clear Creek County Undersheriff Bruce Snelling said on Thursday that the reason Deputy Andrew Buen used deadly force on Christian Glass was because he was afraid Glass was going to stab the Georgetown Police marshal out of the broken car window.

Snelling said in an interview with CPR News that Buen believed Glass posed a danger to officers by refusing to drop his knife after being asked 35 times to do so during a confrontation in June 2022.

The incident ended with Glass, a 22-year-old Boulder resident, being shot and killed after he called 911 for help.

Meanwhile, Gov. Jared Polis took an extraordinary step in condemning the killing. He issued a statement about the incident late Thursday after he met with Glass’ parents.

“The unspeakable loss and grief Sally and Simon Glass are living is the worst nightmare of every parent,” he said. “This tragedy should never have happened. Colorado mourns for the loss of Christian Glass’s life.”

The incident has drawn international attention to Colorado from as far away as New Zealand where Glass’ father is originally from. 

The massive public interest was generated when the Glass family’s lawyers Qusair Mohamedbhai and Siddhartha Rathod released hours of various body-worn cameras from officers on the scene this week. 

“Police cannot create their own exigent circumstances,” Rathod said. “Police may not illegally smash out the windows of a person’s car who has committed no crime as the Colorado State Patrol said that night and then create their own circumstances that they believe justifies killing a 22-year-old boy. This is basic law enforcement. This is not complicated. And every police officer is taught this.”