A Canadian community is reeling after police fatally shot a 15-year-old autistic boy with the mental capacity of a 10-year-old, following reports that he had a weapon near a school.
Chase de Balinhard had gone for a walk in his Surrey, British Columbia, neighborhood on February 9 while his parents were out watching the Super Bowl, CTV News reports.
At around 2:40 p.m., the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) responded to a call about an armed individual near a school.
A Fatal Encounter Caught on Camera
Surveillance footage from a neighbor’s home captured the moments leading up to the shooting. Chase, who had a noticeable limp, was seen walking past a patrol vehicle with what his parents say was a pellet gun pointed at his own head.
“He was walking away very slowly—not running, not aggressive,” his father, Rick, recalled.
Officers armed with rifles attempted to negotiate, with one telling Chase, “You don’t want to do this.”
The video then shows Chase raising his arm and pointing the object toward officers before ducking behind a bush. Two gunshots rang out, and officers rushed toward him.
Chase was pronounced dead at the scene.
A Misunderstood Crisis
Chase’s parents insist their son was not suicidal but was likely scared and disoriented.
“Being autistic, he wasn’t hearing what they were saying,” Rick explained. “He was walking away from the noise, probably thinking, ‘Why are these people following me in cop cars and yelling at me?’”
His parents believe he may have been recording a video on his phone, unaware of the danger he was in.
At his funeral, his teacher Christine Horton spoke about his struggles with autism, XXY Syndrome, OCD, ADHD, and a congenital heart condition. He read at a second-grade level, had difficulty processing multiple commands, and was triggered by loud, demanding voices.
Despite his challenges, Horton described Chase as a kind-hearted, ambitious boy who once raised money for BC Children’s Hospital and dreamed of opening a toy or antique store.
A Devastated Family Demands Answers
Chase’s mother, Crystal, learned about the shooting from a friend who texted, “Do you know what’s going on at the school? I heard shots were fired.”
When her son didn’t answer his phone, she tracked his location using Find My iPhone—only to see it pinging at the site of the shooting.
“I drove there immediately, but the street was blocked off,” she said.
She was later informed by an investigator that her son had been killed by police.
Calls for Reform
British Columbia’s police watchdog has launched an investigation into whether the officers’ actions were “necessary, reasonable, and proportionate.”
In the meantime, the de Balinhard family is questioning whether RCMP officers receive adequate training to handle neurodiverse individuals.
“Why did they have to shoot to kill?” Crystal asked. “They were feet away. Why didn’t they Taser him?”
Surrey-Cloverdale MLA Elenore Sturko recently met with Public Safety Minister Gary Begg, who confirmed that a review of police training for handling neurodiverse individuals has been ongoing since 2023.
“It’s just so awful, and we want to make sure this never happens again,” Sturko said.
