Less than five minutes passed from the time two RCMP officers arrived in the isolated island First Nations community of Opitsaht to the moment when shots were fired that resulted in the death of a Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation man, as shared by one of the officers.
Cpl. Daniel Macintosh, testifying during a coroner’s inquest concerning the death of Julian Jones, recounted that officers were summoned to the island around 9 p.m. PT on February 27, 2021, in response to reports of a woman allegedly being assaulted and confined in a residence.
This particular inquest aims to delve into the circumstances surrounding Jones’s demise, and the jury will formulate suggestions aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future. Notably, the inquest is not focused on assigning blame or criminal culpability.
Const. David Robichaud, the officer who discharged multiple fatal shots at Jones, was summoned to testify but is not anticipated to appear. Following the summons, Robichaud retired from the RCMP and relocated out of the province, evading the legal obligation to provide testimony outside of British Columbia.
The Independent Investigations Office did not propose charges against the officers following an inquiry into the incident.
Julian Jones, who had a history of convictions, including assaulting a Tofino RCMP officer, was prohibited from contacting several RCMP officers, including Robichaud, according to his parole officer, David Paruk.
The events at the Opitsaht residence transpired swiftly, within a minute, according to Macintosh. The officers encountered a darkened house upon knocking. Inside, they heard a woman’s cries for help, male voices, and sounds of furniture being moved.
Upon opening the door, Robichaud apprehended John Lucas Jr., Jones’s brother. As Lucas was being handcuffed and expressed pain, Jones emerged, cautioning the officers against harming his brother and issuing threats.
Using a flashlight, Macintosh observed Jones striking two metal objects together, creating sparks. Despite Macintosh urging Jones to drop what he believed were knives, Jones proceeded towards the officers.
Robichaud deployed a Taser at Jones, causing him to collapse. Subsequently, as Jones advanced towards Macintosh, Robichaud discharged multiple rounds. Jones eventually fell motionless to the floor, with his mother rushing towards him.
During the encounter, Macintosh, with his pistol at the ready, removed the metal objects from Jones’s grasp, discovering them to be two flat metal files. When questioned on the handling of the situation, Robichaud instructed Macintosh to locate towels to stem the bleeding. Despite attempts to assess Jones’s condition, Macintosh refrained from administering first aid due to concerns about exacerbating chest wounds.
Reflecting on the incident, Macintosh suggested that the outcome might have been different if the woman who reported the assault had exited the house upon the officers’ arrival, allowing for a different course of action.
Macintosh also mentioned that the presence of a second Taser could have offered an alternative solution. Robichaud, already planning to transfer out of the Tofino RCMP, expedited his move out of the community following the shooting.
The inquest is set to continue on Thursday.