Inquest date into death of Surrey teen Chase de Balinhard announced
Published 10:27 am Thursday, October 29, 2026
The B.C. The Coroners Service had announced an inquest will be held to examine the circumstances surrounding the death of Clayton Heights teen Chase de Balinhard.
The inquest is set to begin Nov. 9 at the Burnaby Coroners’ Court.
Amber Schinkel, media relations for the B.C. Coroners Service (BCCS), issued a press release noting BCCS received a report advising them of the death of 15-year-old Chase de Balinhard. The report noted the death followed events involving members of the Surrey Police Service and the RCMP Surrey Provincial Operations Support Unit.
“Under Section 18(2) of the Coroners Act, inquests are mandatory for any deaths that occur while a person was detained by or in the custody of a peace officer,” Schinkel noted in the release. “A coroner’s inquest is a non-fault-finding public inquiry that serves three primary functions.”
Those functions are meant to: determine the facts related to a death, including the identity of the deceased and how, when, where, and by what means the individual came to their death, as well as a classification for the death; make recommendations, where appropriate and supported by evidence, to prevent deaths in similar circumstances; ensure public confidence that the circumstances surrounding the death of an individual will not be overlooked, concealed, or ignored.
John Knox will be the presiding coroner.
“He and a jury will hear evidence from witnesses under oath to determine the facts surrounding this death,” Schinkel wrote. “The jury will have the opportunity to make recommendations, as outlined above, though a jury must not make any finding of legal responsibility or express any conclusion of law.”
BCCS noted it will livestream the inquest. This will be done to allow the general public and the media to virtually attend.
Schinkel cautioned “reproduction, broadcasting and publishing of inquest proceedings is prohibited, including through social media, whether the inquest is attended in-person or virtually.”
Chase, who lived with autism and ADHD, left his home Feb. 9, 2025, with a pellet handgun and within minutes Chase called 911. Chase was shot by police a short time later.
The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO) released a report Dec. 4, 2025, detailing a months-long investigation into the shooting death of the 15-year-old last Feb. 9 in Clayton Heights. IIO revealed that 911 dispatch said Chase told them he had a gun and was going to kill himself. Chase also told the dispatcher that he was autistic.
The inquest will be held at the Burnaby Coroners’ Court Nov. 9 with proceedings starting at 9:30 a.m. The court is located on the 20th floor at 4720 Kingsway, Metrotower II, in Metrotown.
For more info on inquests, access to the livestream, or for more info on the BCCS, visit: gov.bc.ca/coroners.