Coroner’s Inquest Into RCMP Shooting of Julian Jones Hears Emotional Testimony From Sexual Assault Survivor

Liam O'Connell

8/19/20262 min read

A woman who called Tofino RCMP for help before Julian Jones was fatally shot by police in 2021 told a coroner’s inquest Tuesday that she believes the situation could have ended differently.

The woman, whom Peazzi is not naming because she is a sexual assault survivor, told the inquest she had been confined and sexually assaulted by two men inside a home in Opitsaht, a remote Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation community near Tofino.

She said she was in a bedroom when RCMP officers arrived late one evening in February 2021.

The woman recalled hearing muffled voices followed by gunshots.

She then ran into the living room, where she saw Jones lying dead.

Jones’s brother, John Lucas Jr., was later convicted of sexually assaulting her.

Witness Says She Still Thinks About Jones’s Death

The woman appeared before the inquest under a legal summons and became emotional while recounting the events, stopping at times to wipe away tears.

“I just think things could have gone way differently than what happened to him,” she said.

“I have to live with it the rest of my life, what happened to me and thinking about what happened to him.”

The facts and circumstances surrounding Jones’s death are the focus of the inquest underway in Port Alberni.

Jones was shot multiple times by a Tofino RCMP officer.

A seven-person jury will hear evidence and can make non-binding recommendations intended to prevent similar deaths.

A coroner’s inquest does not determine criminal responsibility or assign blame.

Inquest Examines Jones’s Life and Challenges

Much of the first day focused on Jones’s personal history and the challenges he experienced throughout his life.

He had previously been convicted of numerous offences, including assaults against strangers and an RCMP officer in Tofino.

David Paruk, who worked as Jones’s parole officer, told the inquest that Jones was prohibited from contacting several RCMP officers, including Const. David Robichaud.

Robichaud was the officer who fatally shot Jones.

He is not expected to testify at the inquest.

Inquest counsel Rolf Warburton said Robichaud had been summoned, but has since retired from the RCMP and moved outside British Columbia, meaning he is no longer legally required to participate.

Doctor Describes Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Addiction

Dr. Luke Williston, who treated Jones at a clinic in Tofino, testified that Jones faced significant cognitive and health challenges.

Williston said Jones had been diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome, or FAS.

The condition can cause cognitive impairments involving attention, memory, judgment and the ability to understand consequences, he said.

Jones also struggled with substance use and alcohol addiction and had been exposed to alcohol from a young age, according to Williston.

Family Remembers Jones as a Brother and Son

Jones’s sister, Laura Manson, spoke about memories of her brother as a child, including dancing together with family members during a living-room potlatch.

“Julian’s life matters,” she said.

“He was my baby brother and I miss him with every fibre of my being. He did not deserve to die. And I just really want you to remember that throughout this proceeding, that he was a human being first.”

Paruk also told the inquest that Jones had experienced what he described as a “very traumatic upbringing.”

He said he wished Jones had been able to access culturally appropriate treatment and probation services closer to his community.

Paruk said those supports might have made a difference in Jones’s life.

“I just hope something positive comes from this, I really do,” he said.

The coroner’s inquest is scheduled to continue Wednesday.

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