More than 21 months after 15-year-old Chase de Balinhard was fatally shot by police in Surrey, B.C., a coroner’s inquest into his death begins Monday in Burnaby. The proceedings follow an investigation by B.C.’s independent police watchdog, which concluded the officers’ use of lethal force was legally justified and found no reasonable grounds to believe an officer had committed a criminal offence. Unlike the police watchdog’s investigation, the coroner’s inquest will not determine whether officers acted unlawfully. Instead, it will examine the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s death and consider recommendations aimed at preventing similar tragedies. What happened According to a report released by the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) in December 2025, Chase called 911 at approximately 2:38 p.m., telling the operator he had a revolver and was going to kill himself. During the 19-minute call, the call-taker asked Chase whether he trusted police. He responded that he did not. The call-taker then asked whether it was simply a lack of trust or whether Chase also felt he wanted to harm police. “Both,” Chase replied, according to the IIO report. The report states that officers responding to the call were informed Chase was 15 years old, autistic and had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Members of the Surrey RCMP Provincial Operations Support Unit and Surrey Police Service arrived in the area shortly before 3 p.m. According to the IIO, officers attempted to apprehend Chase over approximately 22 minutes as he moved through a school field, a townhouse development and nearby residential streets. Witness officers told investigators Chase was carrying what appeared to be a handgun, which he pointed at officers several times and, at times, held against his own head. Officers described repeatedly calling out to Chase and ordering him to drop the weapon. The IIO report also describes officers losing sight of the teenager several times as he moved through the neighbourhood. At approximately 3:17 p.m., the IIO says Chase turned and pointed the revolver directly at nearby police officers. Two officers discharged their firearms almost simultaneously. Chase was struck by a single bullet to the chest and died at the scene. The weapon was subsequently determined to be a .22-calibre pellet air pistol, containing a full CO2 cartridge and six pellets in its magazine. IIO finds police use of force justified In its December 2025 decision, the IIO concluded that officers had reasonable grounds to fear death or grievous bodily harm when Chase pointed the realistic-looking firearm toward them. The agency reviewed evidence including witness statements, police records, radio transmissions, a recording of the 911 call, surveillance video and forensic findings. The report states that the officers made repeated attempts to resolve the situation without harm and were responding to what they reasonably believed was a threat to public and officer safety. The IIO concluded the officers were acting lawfully in attempting to apprehend and disarm Chase, and that the use of lethal force was justified in the circumstances. Chief civilian director Jessica Berglund determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe an officer may have committed an offence. The matter was not referred to Crown counsel for consideration of charges. The officer who fired the fatal shot did not provide an account to the IIO. Under the agency’s investigative process, subject officers are not required to provide evidence. Why is an inquest being held? The coroner’s inquest serves a different purpose from the IIO investigation. While the IIO examined whether an officer may have committed a criminal offence, an inquest is a public, fact-finding proceeding intended to establish the circumstances surrounding a death. Under B.C.’s Coroners Act, inquests are mandatory in certain circumstances, including deaths that occur while someone is detained by or in the custody of a peace officer. The B.C. Coroners Service says an inquest is intended to establish how, when, where and by what means a person died, and to consider recommendations, where supported by the evidence, that could prevent similar deaths. A coroner and jury hear evidence from witnesses under oath. The jury cannot make findings of legal responsibility or express conclusions of law. Any recommendations made by the jury are not legally binding. Gaps in autism-specific training Although the IIO found the officers’ actions legally justified, its report also examined the role of autism-specific training in police responses to people experiencing a crisis. Investigators found none of the officers interviewed had received training specifically related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The report also states there was no evidence that the officer who fired the fatal shot had received such training. According to the IIO, some officers had gained familiarity with autism through personal experiences during their police work. One officer told investigators that knowing Chase was autistic did not change his risk assessment and may have increased it because he was uncertain how the diagnosis could affect communication. The IIO also acknowledged that ASD experts had described Chase’s lack of engagement with officers as sensory overload. The report states it was likely that attempts to establish dialogue were hampered by the sight of police uniforms and firearms, along with the sound of shouted commands. However, the IIO concluded that officers reasonably focused on the risks associated with what appeared to be a firearm as Chase moved through a populated residential area. The report noted that officers had received general crisis intervention and de-escalation training, but that the training did not extend to recognizing signs of autism. Family advocated for training Chase’s parents, Crystal and Rick De Balinhard, have publicly advocated for greater understanding of autism and improvements to police training since their son’s death. Their concerns were explored in CTV News’ five-part investigative series, Lost in Translation: The Death of Chase de Balinhard, which examined the circumstances surrounding the shooting and broader questions about how police respond to autistic people in crisis. The series included perspectives from Chase’s family, autism advocates, witnesses, former police officers, politicians, and experts, and examined the availability of autism-specific training for first responders. The family also called for a coroner’s inquest to examine the circumstances of Chase’s death. While the IIO has already determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe an officer committed an offence, the inquest provides a separate public process for examining the evidence and considering possible recommendations. What happens next? The inquest began Monday at Burnaby Coroners’ Court. Presiding coroner John Knox and a jury will hear sworn testimony and examine evidence relating to Chase’s death. The proceedings are open to the public and will also be livestreamed through the B.C. Coroners Service website. The jury may make recommendations aimed at preventing deaths in similar circumstances, but it cannot assign legal responsibility for Chase’s death.
