BURNABY, B.C. - A coroner’s inquest has been scheduled into the death of Chase de Balinhard, who was 15 years old when he died following events involving members of the Surrey Police Service and the RCMP Surrey Provincial Operations Support Unit.
The BC Coroners Service announced the inquest on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. It will begin on Monday, November 9, 2026, at the Burnaby Coroners’ Court, on the 20th floor of 4720 Kingsway, Metrotower II, in Metrotown, Burnaby. Proceedings will start at 9:30 a.m.
On February 9, 2025, the BC Coroners Service received a report advising of a death following events involving members of the Surrey Police Service and the RCMP Surrey Provincial Operations Support Unit. Chase de Balinhard was 15 years old at the time of his death, the bulletin states.
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.
A coroner’s inquest is a non-fault-finding public inquiry. Its functions are to determine the facts related to a death, including the identity of the deceased and how, when, where and by what means the person came to their death, as well as a classification for the death; to make recommendations, where appropriate and supported by evidence, to prevent deaths in similar circumstances; and to ensure public confidence that the circumstances surrounding the death 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. The jury will have the opportunity to make recommendations, though a jury must not make any finding of legal responsibility or express any conclusion of law.
The inquest will be livestreamed, allowing the public and media to attend virtually. The BC Coroners Service states that reproduction, broadcasting and publishing of inquest proceedings is prohibited, including through social media, whether the inquest is attended in person or virtually. Supreme Court-accredited media are permitted to record the proceeding solely for the accuracy of their notes, and that recording is not to be broadcast in any form.
Apna News reports only what the BC Coroners Service bulletin states. It does not speculate about the circumstances of the death, which are the subject of the inquest itself.
(Source: BC Coroners Service information bulletin, October 28, 2026)
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