Less than five minutes passed between the arrival of two RCMP officers in the remote island First Nations community of Opitsaht and the fatal shots that ended the life of a Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation man, as revealed by one of the officers.
Cpl. Daniel Macintosh testified at a coroner’s inquest regarding the death of Julian Jones, stating that they were called to the island around 9 p.m. PT on Feb. 27, 2021, to investigate reports of a woman being assaulted and confined in a residence.
This inquest aims to investigate the circumstances surrounding Jones’s death, with the jury set to provide recommendations to prevent similar incidents, without assigning blame or criminal liability.
Const. David Robichaud, who discharged the shots that led to Jones’s death, was summoned to testify but did not appear as he had retired from the RCMP and relocated out of the province, declining participation post-summons.
Despite an investigation by the Independent Investigations Office, no charges were recommended against the officers involved.
Jones, previously convicted of various offenses, including assaulting an RCMP officer, was instructed not to contact several RCMP officers, including Robichaud, according to his parole officer.
During the incident at the Opitsaht residence, lasting under a minute, Macintosh described hearing a woman’s cry for help, men’s voices, and the movement of heavy furniture. Subsequently, Robichaud arrested John Lucas Jr., Jones’s brother, leading to a confrontation where Jones threatened the officers.
Following a brief verbal exchange, Robichaud fired a Taser at Jones, causing him to fall to the ground. Despite attempts to subdue Jones, he continued advancing towards the officers, leading to further shots being fired.
Macintosh recounted feeling fear for his life for the first time in his career during the encounter. After the shooting, Jones’s mother rushed to him, screaming, and covered his body.
Macintosh, with his pistol drawn, observed that Jones was holding two metal files with square tops, realizing the potential weapons involved. Despite attempts to assist Jones, Macintosh concluded that providing first aid might exacerbate his condition due to suspected chest wounds.
Reflecting on the incident, Macintosh suggested that the outcome could have been different if the woman had left the residence upon the officers’ arrival, allowing for a different course of action. He also mentioned the potential use of an additional Taser as an alternative.
Robichaud, who was already planning to transfer out of the Tofino RCMP, expedited his transfer and left the community shortly after the shooting. The inquest proceedings are set to continue.