The BC Coroners Service has scheduled a coroner’s inquest into the death of 15-year-old Chase de Balinhard to begin Nov. 9, 2026 in Burnaby.
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The BC Coroners Service has scheduled a coroner’s inquest to examine the circumstances surrounding the death of Chase de Balinhard, a 15-year-old at the time of his death.
The inquest will begin Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, with proceedings starting at 9:30 a.m. It will be held at the Burnaby Coroners’ Court, 20th floor, 4720 Kingsway, Metrotower II, Metrotown, Burnaby.
The service says that on Feb. 9, 2025, it received a report advising of a death following events involving members of the Surrey Police Service and the RCMP Surrey Provincial Operations Support Unit.
The BC Coroners Service notes that, under Section 18(2) of the Coroners Act, inquests are mandatory for deaths that occur while a person was detained by or in the custody of a peace officer.
The inquest will be presided over by John Knox, and a jury will hear evidence from witnesses under oath to determine the facts surrounding the death. The service says the jury may make recommendations, though it must not make any finding of legal responsibility or express any conclusion of law.
The BC Coroners Service describes a coroner’s inquest as a non-fault-finding public inquiry that helps determine the facts related to a death, including identity and how, when, where and by what means the person came to their death. It also says the process includes a classification for the death and may include recommendations, where appropriate and supported by evidence, to help prevent similar deaths.
The inquest will be livestreamed, allowing the public and media to virtually attend. The service says reproduction, broadcasting and publishing of inquest proceedings is prohibited, including through social media, whether the inquest is attended in-person or virtually, and that Supreme Court-accredited media may record the proceeding only to support the accuracy of their notes, not for broadcast. Accredited media members must provide proof to the sheriff and visibly display their accreditation when recording or using electronic devices in court.
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