A young man was killed by Colorado police after calling 911 for help when his vehicle got stuck.
In June, 22-year-old Christian Glass was fatally shot by a Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office deputy during what his family describes as a mental health crisis, per CNN.
Glass had contacted the police in hopes of assistance after getting his SUV stuck. However, for more than an hour after their arrival, the young man refused to leave the car. The responding officers responded by tasing him and firing beanbag rounds at him, before finally shooting and killing him.
A police bodycam footage that recorded his killing at the hands of the deputy officer revealed that during the man's last moments, he made a heart shape with his hands.
Watch CBS Colorado's coverage below:Glass’ family has hired lawyers Siddhartha Rathod and Qusair Mohamedbhai for help in their fight for justice. In a statement obtained by Vice, the lawyers wrote: "From beginning to end, the officers escalated and proactively initiated force."
"There was no need to threaten him with force; to draw guns; to break his car window; to fire beanbag rounds from a close distance; to tase him; to shoot him dead," they added. "From beginning to end, the officers on the scene acted unconscionably and inhumanely."
The attorneys said law enforcement "escalated and proactively initiated force" that led to his death, adding, "The act of simply calling 911 for help cannot be a death sentence," per NBC News.
According to the 911 call audio obtained by the Colorado Public Radio, Glass mentioned that he had knives inside his car before they approached him.
"I have two knives and a hammer and a rubber mallet," he said. "I’m not dangerous. I’ll keep my hands completely visible. I understand this is a dodgy situation."
When authorities arrived on the scene, Glass offered to throw the weapons out of the car. However, later, he refused to leave the car and kept his windows up, saying he was too scared to get out.
As reported by the Independent, one officer asked him to "step out of the car," saying that it was "lawful order" and that if he didn't, he would be removed from his vehicle.
The situation quickly escalated when the officer jumped on the hood of the car. Deputies then noted that when Glass was surrounded by several officers during the interaction with police, he was holding a knife.
"The suspect rearmed himself with a rock and a second knife," the statement said. "Deputies deployed less-lethal bean bags, and Taser with negative results."
The statement revealed that Glass reportedly "tried to stab" an officer and was shot. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Watch Glass' family's press conference:His parents made their first public comments since their son was killed at a news conference on Tuesday (September 13). They said that they want to "correct the misleading statements" from the police.
"He was stuck on a small pile of rocks on the side of the road and called 911 for help," his father Simon Glass said. "It was dark, and he was really worried. He trusted the police to come and help him. Instead, they attacked and killed him."
His mother, Sally Glass, said: "my son did nothing wrong. He was just too scared to get out of his car," adding, "I think a lot of people would agree that there is a systemic problem with policing."
The sheriff's office disclosed that the Colorado Bureau of Investigation is investigating the tragic incident and that the deputy has been placed on administrative leave until the outcome.
Clear Creek County District Attorney Heidi McCollum also said that her office is reviewing the shooting, writing: "This office is required to issue a report or to present the case to a grand jury to further investigate or decide if indictments should issue."
"I will release my decision on the action this office will take as soon as the review process and a complete and thorough investigation is completed," McCollum added.
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