Chase de Balinhard

📍 Location

📝 Description

Chase de Balinhard, a 15-year-old neurodivergent student with autism (and ADHD), died in a police-involved shooting in Surrey, British Columbia, on February 9, 2025. Chase called 911 reporting a firearm and suicidal intent. Responding officers from the Surrey Police Service and the RCMP Surrey Provincial Operations Support Unit, with a nurse on Car 67, located him in a residential area near 188th Street and 70th Avenue (Clayton Heights). He brandished a replica handgun that looked real; after a standoff lasting more than 20 minutes, two officers fired and he was struck. Lifesaving measures were unsuccessful. The weapon was later identified as a .22 pellet air pistol replica. In December 2025, the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) found the officers acted lawfully and not criminally; the BC Coroners Service announced a coroner’s inquest into his death, which is expected to take place in 2026. The case has raised discussions about autism-informed crisis training for police and the availability of mental-health supports in high-stress encounters.

🔍 Circumstances

911 call received February 9, 2025; Chase reported a gun and suicidal intent; police and a mental-health unit attended; he was located in a Clayton Heights area near 188 St & 70 Ave; a standoff lasting over 20 minutes occurred; Chase turned the weapon toward officers at 3:17 p.m.; two officers fired; he died on scene; the gun was a replica air pistol; IIO later determined officers acted lawfully; coroner’s inquest announced for 2026.

👤 Physical Description

unknown/publicly disclosed details beyond age and neurodivergent status (autism/ADHD).

ℹ️ Additional Details

The firearm looked real to responders; it was later identified as a replica air pistol with six pellets loaded in a CO2 cartridge; there was a nurse on Car 67 but she did not exit the vehicle; IIO found no grounds for criminal liability by the officers; coroner’s inquest is mandatory for deaths in custody or in the care of peace officers; inquests are publicly available and may include recommendations.

🔗 Sources (5)

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