Two RCMP officers arrived in the remote island First Nations community of Opitsaht and within five minutes, shots were fired that resulted in the death of a Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation man. Cpl. Daniel Macintosh testified at a coroner’s inquest into the death of Julian Jones, where he described the events that unfolded on the evening of Feb. 27, 2021. The officers had responded to reports of a woman being assaulted and confined in a home on the island.
The inquest is focused on examining the circumstances surrounding Jones’s death, with the jury tasked to provide recommendations to prevent similar incidents without assigning blame or criminality. Const. David Robichaud, who fired the shots that killed Jones, retired from the RCMP and moved out of the province after receiving a summons to testify but declining to appear. The Independent Investigations Office did not recommend charges against the officers following an investigation.
Jones, who had a history of criminal convictions, including assaulting a Tofino RCMP officer, was prohibited from contacting certain police officers, including Robichaud. The events at the Opitsaht residence unfolded quickly, with Macintosh recounting hearing commotion inside the darkened home before Jones emerged and confronted the officers after his brother’s arrest.
Macintosh described a tense situation where Jones threatened the officers with metal objects, prompting Robichaud to fire a Taser. Despite attempts to subdue Jones, he continued to advance towards the officers, leading to the fatal shots being fired. Macintosh revealed that it was the first time in his career that he felt his life was in danger during an encounter.
Following the shooting, Macintosh attempted to provide aid to Jones but ultimately decided against it due to the severity of Jones’s injuries. He reflected on the events, mentioning that the outcome could have been different if the initial situation had de-escalated, and additional tools like a second Taser had been available. Robichaud, who was already planning to transfer out of the Tofino RCMP, expedited his transfer and left the community shortly after the incident.
The inquest is ongoing, with more details expected to be presented in the following sessions.
