The B.C. government won’t call an inquest into the fatal police shooting of 15-year-old Chase De Balinhard while a watchdog investigation remains underway, Premier David Eby said Wednesday. Eby’s comments followed a previous refusal to do so from Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger, and come amid mounting calls from the teenager’s family and advocates for assurances that an inquiry will be held. “The Independent Investigations Office is continuing their investigation of what happened, and a coroner’s inquest can’t start until that is completed,” Eby told reporters at an unrelated news conference. Legal experts have said the province does have the authority to order an inquest, and that there is precedent for doing so even while the IIO is still investigating. While the hearings would not begin until after the watchdog completes its work, critics argue making the decision immediately could provide the family with peace of mind, and demonstrate a commitment to transparency. The premier noted that police are already making internal changes in response to the tragedy, and assured that Krieger and her ministry are “working on the family’s request.” “They take it very seriously, as do I,” Eby said. “They’ll have more to share with the family soon, I’m sure.” Chase, who was on the autism spectrum, was killed during an encounter with RCMP officers in February. His grieving parents said Krieger first got in touch with them after CTV News began investigating his death in August. Despite the family’s urging that the minister call an inquest, the De Balinhards said they have not heard anything from her office since. A case raising urgent questions While Chase was in his mid-teens, his family has said he functioned developmentally like a 10-year-old boy. He left their home in Surrey’s Clayton Heights neighbourhood on the afternoon of Feb. 9. Roughly 20 minutes later, RCMP responded to a call about a person in distress carrying a firearm. His parents later confirmed Chase was carrying an unloaded pellet gun that he had taken from their home without their knowledge. The IIO said there was an interaction between the teen and officers near the intersection of 70 Avenue and 185 Street, during which police opened fire. Chase was pronounced dead at the scene. The shooting has since ignited debate over police training, autism awareness, and the lack of oversight when force is used on some of society’s most vulnerable. Nearly eight months after the shooting, the IIO has yet to release its findings, a wait the De Balinhard family has called “excruciating.” For more on the case, click here for the investigative series Lost in Translation: The Death of Chase De Balinhard.
