Trial set for former Colorado town councilman accused of shooting teen in the face
A trial date was set on Tuesday for the former Colorado town councilman who's accused of shooting a 17-year-old boy in the face after the teen and his friend tried asking for permission to take prom photos on the foothills property that belongs to the man.
A court hearing determined the trial for Brent Metz will start in Jefferson County on May 22 and should last about a week.
Attorneys for Metz, who served as a councilman for the town of Mountain View, say the September 2024 shooting was accidental and that Metz's gun went off without him pulling the trigger.
The two teens hopped the fence of the property to knock on the door for permission to take those photos, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. When no one answered the door, they walked around the property, saying they heard music playing, before returning to their car. One of the boys started writing a letter asking for permission to take the photos at the house, the sheriff's office said. That partially-written letter was recovered at the scene by investigators.
Metz's girlfriend, who was home at the time, saw the boys on security cameras and called Metz and 911. Metz arrived before deputies and, according to investigators, got out of his truck, pulled a handgun, and pointed it at the teens' car when it went off. Metz maintains he never pulled the trigger.
The boy who wasn't injured told investigators he also believed the shooting was accidental, saying he heard Metz, 40, say, "oh s**t, my gun went off."
Metz's attorney, Chris Decker, told CBS News Colorado in May that the gun Metz used that day — a Sig Sauer P320 — is at the center of several safety recalls and lawsuits, both resolved and ongoing, due to instances of it reportedly going off without the trigger being pulled.
Metz was arrested at the scene and has since been released on bond.
He's charged with second-degree assault with a deadly weapon resulting in serious bodily injury, two counts of menacing with a weapon, and illegal discharge of a firearm — all felonies. He pleaded not guilty in April.
A message was left with Metz's attorney on Tuesday seeking comment about the trial.
In addition to the criminal case, the teen who was shot is suing Metz in a civil case in Jefferson County. A hearing for that case is set for March 3.