The tragic fatal shooting by police of a 15-year-old boy with autism on Sunday, Feb. 9 has rocked Surrey and much of B.C.
Once again it has drawn attention to the horrific and permanent impact of a death caused by police. While police certainly have the right to use their firearms in life-threatening situations, many questions arise over training, information given to front-line officers, understanding of mental health issues and followup investigations.
While the timeline of the shooting isn’t completely clear, what is known is that police were called in the afternoon when neighbours saw 15-year-old Chase De Balinhard near Clayton Heights Secondary, with what appeared to be a gun. He was a student at that school. A large number of police officers responded.
Within a short time, the teen had moved west through the school property towards Clayton Park. Near the intersection of 70 Avenue and 185 Street, he ended up dead after shots were fired. That area has a significant number of townhomes and is within a block of the construction of the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain line.
At first, reports about the incident didn’t even identify the victim’s age or gender. The Independent Investigations Office, which investigates all deaths and serious incidents involving police, claimed that “was not something that needed to be released,” according to chief civilian director Jessica Berglund.
Nor did the IIO consider that students at the high school would attend classes the next day, only to find out by word of mouth that a fellow student had been shot and killed by police — adjacent to their school, on the previous day. Parents had no way to help prepare their children for that shock. In my view, this was completely irresponsible.
The IIO and the B.C. Coroners Service have each launched investigations of the death. Don’t expect any answers soon.
IIO investigations are complex, as they directly involve the actions of police, and tend to take many months if not years to be concluded. In the case of the coroner's office, investigations also take months. While inquests are occasionally called in high-profile deaths (apparently to ensure that the death will not be overlooked), they take place many months after the incident.
The coroner’s office has just announced it will conduct an inquest (which involves a civilian jury) into the fentanyl death of a University of Victoria student. The student collapsed in a dorm room in January 2024. The inquest will begin on April 28.
The lengthy delays, which are likely due to the time needed to gather all available evidence and lack of staff to quickly process the information, do nothing to boost public confidence in the IIO, the coroner’s service or the police.
Since the shooting, the most significant developments have come from outside the lines of authority.
AutismBC is advocating for comprehensive education and training for all emergency medical services across sectors (which hopefully would include police). The organization stated: “We understand the fear and worry many in our community feel about whether police and emergency responders know how to interact with autistic individuals safely. We also continue to advocate for a neuroaffirmative and voluntary identification system to support autistic and non-speaking individuals."
The family and friends of the young man are understandably devastated. The community of Clayton, particularly neighbours who witnessed the incident and students and parents at the high school, are also in a state of shock. Many are angry.
A GoFundMe page has been set up for the family by Chase’s cousin Alexis Butchart. The GoFundMe page says De Balinhard's family is looking for support from the community "in this extremely rough time." As of Friday, Feb. 14, it had raised over $38,000 from more than 450 donors.
"For our family. Chase was a son, a grandson, a nephew, a cousin and a loyal friend. He is missed by so many. This travesty has shook our family to the core, any help would be appreciated," the page states.
The people trusted to deal with emergencies are much less trusted than they were. Answers are needed. The sooner answers start to come, the better.
Frank Bucholtz writes twice monthly on political issues for Black Press Media publications.
