November 17, 2023
The 5 th Judicial District Attorney’s Office announced today that six additional law enforcement officers
assisting from various agencies at the scene of the June 11, 2022, shooting of Christian Glass in Silver Plume
will be charged with a Class 1 Misdemeanor regarding Duty to Intervene. This announcement was made,
and charges levied nearly a year and a half after the shooting death of Mr. Glass. Among the officers
present on scene and being charged today is Idaho Springs Police Officer Brittany Morrow.
In 2022, Officer Morrow’s actions were reviewed and evaluated by the Idaho Springs Police Department
(ISPD), the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, and a grand jury. Officer Morrow was found not to have
violated any ISPD policies and procedures. The grand jury indictment specifically commended Officer
Morrow’s actions, stating, “Officer Morrow also spoke with Mr. Glass in a helpful and understanding
manner and attempted to find out why Mr. Glass was in distress and to coax Mr. Glass out of the car.”
Officer Morrow attempted to connect with Mr. Glass by putting her hands into the shape of a heart,
emulating his own gesture. After being unsuccessful in getting Mr. Glass to come out of his car, she was
assigned to a perimeter position at the scene.
There were eight officers involved in the incident on June 11, 2022. Two Clear Creek Sheriff’s Office
Deputies were indicted by a grand jury in November 2022. The charges announced today are applied in a
blanket manner to the other six officers present, regardless of what tactics each individual used or the level
of meaningful opportunity to intervene each had, given all the facts and circumstances. Officer Morrow
employed empathy to try to resolve Mr. Glass’ crisis before being posted in a perimeter location. Other
officers on scene then decided to forcibly remove Mr. Glass from his vehicle, which quickly escalated into
the fatal shooting less than two minutes later.
“First, the Idaho Springs Police Department empathizes with the Glass family regarding the tragic loss of
their son. As a parent, I cannot imagine losing one of my children to the actions of law enforcement.
However, I strongly believe that Officer Morrow was not in a position to intervene in the tactical decisions
of the two Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Georgetown Marshal. It was their direct actions,
over approximately 90 seconds, that led to the shooting of Christian Glass,” said ISPD Chief Nathan Buseck.
“Officer Morrow continues to serve the citizens of Idaho Springs and residents of Clear Creek County since
this incident occurred. She has performed admirably and professionally. She will continue to be assigned
to patrol duties as this matter works its way through the legal system, and our agency fully supports her
through this process.”