Jury recommends all RCMP officers wear body cameras and carry Tasers
A coroner's inquest into the 2021 death of Julian Jones, a 28-year-old Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation member shot by RCMP in Opitsaht, returned a homicide ruling and urged systemic police reforms.
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A jury investigating the 2021 death of Julian Jones has recommended all RCMP officers wear body cameras and be trained in and equipped with Tasers.
The jury ruled Jones's death—from a gunshot wound to the chest fired by an RCMP officer at a house in the tiny community of Opitsaht off Vancouver Island—a homicide. Jones, 28, was a member of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation.
RCMP responded to a 911 call at about 9 p.m. on February 27, 2021, from a woman reporting sexual assault and confinement. Two officers travelled by boat from Tofino to Opitsaht, about two kilometres away. The jury heard that Jones brandished what officers believed to be knives and advanced on them. He was later found to have been holding long metal files. One officer used a Taser to try to stop Jones's advance, but Jones got back up. The officer who fired the fatal shot, Const. David Robichaud, has since retired from the RCMP and did not testify at the inquest.
The jury also recommended the RCMP consider having Indigenous liaison workers stationed with the Tofino detachment, citing evidence that "the RCMP could do more to learn about and incorporate cultural aspects in their policing of Indigenous people."
RCMP Staff Sgt. Kris Clark said Thursday that 1,650 body cameras were in use this spring by about half the province's Mounties, with a plan to deploy 3,600 by fall 2027. A coroner's inquest determines facts and makes recommendations to prevent future deaths under similar circumstances rather than assigning fault.
Will the RCMP commit to a timeline for equipping all officers with body cameras, and what's the total cost?
Has the RCMP responded formally to the jury's recommendations, including the Indigenous liaison worker proposal?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
By the numbers
How many RCMP body cameras were deployed by spring 2026?
1,650 body cameras were in use by about half the province's RCMP officers as of spring 2026.
When is the RCMP planning to have 3,600 body cameras deployed?
The RCMP plans to deploy 3,600 body cameras by fall 2027.
What did the jury rule about Julian Jones's death?
The jury ruled Julian Jones's death a homicide. Jones, a 28-year-old member of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, was fatally shot in the chest by an RCMP officer in Opitsaht on February 27, 2021.
