A Canadian community is in mourning after police shot and killed a 15-year-old autistic boy with the mental capacity of a 10-year-old, following reports of an armed individual 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 approximately 2:40 p.m., the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) responded to a call about a potential threat near a school.
A Tragic Encounter Captured on Camera
Surveillance footage from a neighbor’s home recorded the moments leading up to the fatal shooting. Chase, who had a noticeable limp, was seen walking past a patrol vehicle, holding what his parents say was a pellet gun to his own head.
“He was walking away very slowly—not running, not aggressive,” his father, Rick, recounted.
Armed officers attempted to communicate with him, with one warning, “You don’t want to do this.”
The video shows Chase raising his arm and pointing the object toward the officers before ducking behind a bush. Moments later, two gunshots rang out. Officers rushed toward him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
A Misunderstood Crisis
Chase’s parents insist he was not suicidal, but likely scared and disoriented.
“Being autistic, he wasn’t processing 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?’”
They believe he may have been recording a video on his phone, unaware of how his actions were being perceived.
At his funeral, Chase’s teacher, Christine Horton, described his struggles with autism, XXY Syndrome, OCD, ADHD, and a congenital heart condition. He read at a second-grade level, struggled to follow multiple instructions, and was easily triggered by loud, commanding voices.
Despite his challenges, Horton remembered Chase as a kind-hearted, determined boy who once raised money for BC Children’s Hospital and dreamed of owning a toy or antique store.
A Family’s Search for Answers
Chase’s mother, Crystal, first learned of the shooting through a friend’s text: “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 near the scene.
“I drove there immediately, but the street was blocked off,” she said.
An investigator later informed her that her son had been killed by police.
Demands for Change
British Columbia’s police watchdog has launched an investigation into whether officers’ actions were “necessary, reasonable, and proportionate.”
Meanwhile, the de Balinhard family is raising concerns about RCMP training in handling neurodiverse individuals.
“Why did they have to shoot to kill?” Crystal asked. “They were feet away. Why didn’t they use a Taser?”
Surrey-Cloverdale MLA Elenore Sturko recently met with Public Safety Minister Gary Begg, who confirmed that a review of police training for interactions with neurodiverse individuals has been ongoing since 2023.
“It’s heartbreaking, and we need to make sure this never happens again,” Sturko said.