By Mike Vanden Bosch

Police response

Chilliwack RCMP explain reason for large police response Wednesday night at site of recent homicide

Feb 19, 2026 | 9:15 AM

CHILLIWACK — Social media lit up after Chilliwack residents reported seeing a police helicopter circling Wednesday night above the site of Sunday’s homicide on Mellard Avenue, coupled with a large police response.

There’s a good reason for that “large police response,” according to an RCMP spokesperson.

Chilliwack RCMP spokesperson Corporal Carmen Kiener says the large response was not related to the homicide, but rather a report of individuals on the property in the 46000 block of Mellard Avenue.

“Due to it being the location of the recent homicide, it was a large police response,” Cpl. Kiener told Fraser Valley Today in an email. “Once officers were able to speak with the individuals, it was determined that no offence was committed, no one had entered the unit that the homicide occurred in. It was an unfounded complaint.”

A resident who lives near the 46000 block of Mellard Avenue claimed the following happened Wednesday night: “So the cops came with their guns drawn, kicked in the door of the first side of the house. There was a helicopter circling. They had 3 or 4 people in custody but released them, and they kicked in a couple doors around their house and the other side of the house. Checked all the cars in front, tried to open the garages but were locked. No one was in the house when they entered, and the guy they had in custody in the back of the cop car was being belligerent and yelling and made snide comments as he was leaving. The(y) looked in all the windows on both sides of the house but ended up leaving so we aren’t sure what happened.”

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Police attended the same residence Thursday morning but left by approximately 7:40 a.m. One person was reportedly taken into custody and handcuffed.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has identified the victim of Sunday’s homicide on Mellard Avenue as 48-year-old Kristopher Benson from Chilliwack.