APTN has identified the man who died after being arrested by Calgary police Tuesday as 42-year-old Jon Wells, a member of the Blood Tribe in Southern Alberta.
The Calgary Police Service (CPS) says just before 1 a.m. on Sept. 17, officers responded to the Carriage House Hotel and Conference Centre on Macleod Trail SE for reports of a man causing a disturbance and refusing to leave.
When officers arrived, they claimed a man was found in the lobby acting erratically.
CPS says officers tried to de-escalate the situation but the man wasn’t cooperative.
There was a struggle between police and the man, and an officer used his taser.
Police say the man continued to be combative with officers, and one of the officers then used his pepper spray.
The man was arrested and taken into custody, and a short time later went into medical distress, according to CPS.
Despite the work of emergency services personnel, the man was declared dead at the scene.
The province’s police watchdog, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT), is now investigating.
‘A great cowboy’
Family members of Wells describe him as a one-of-a-kind cowboy with a heart of gold and a contagious smile in posts on social media.
They say he was the former president of the Blood Tribe Ag Society and a 2012 Indian National Finals Rodeo steer wrestling tour champion.
Sharing a social media post, the Indian National Finals Rodeo sent prayers for the friends and family of Wells.
“A great cowboy who will be missed,” the organization wrote. “Rest easy.”
Wells was also reportedly a father to three daughters.
A funeral for Wells is tentatively scheduled for early next week, according to family.
A disturbing pattern
Wells is the seventh person to die while in the custody of police officers across the country since Aug. 29.
Hoss Lightning-Saddleback, 15, of Samson Cree First Nation was shot by police on Aug. 30 after he called 911 to say that he was being followed by people who wanted to harm him.
ASIRT said in a statement that officers determined he was at risk, and while he was initially cooperative, he ran away from police and two officers shot at him.
Jack Piché of Clearwater Dené Nation died after being hit by an RCMP vehicle on Aug. 29.
Tammy Bateman of Roseau River First Nation died after being hit by a Winnipeg police cruiser on Sept. 2.
Jason West was shot by police in Windsor, Ont., on Sept. 6.
Steven Dedam was shot by police at Elsipogtog First Nation in New Brunswick on Sept. 8. RCMP officers were responding to a call that said Dedam was armed and threatening to harm himself.
The same day, RCMP who were called to Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation in Saskatchewan shot and killed Daniel Knife during a confrontation.
Indigenous Peoples have been sharing photos of them online, advocating for greater awareness of police-involved deaths and better protections for themselves and their communities.
Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, the national chief for the Assembly of First Nations, said earlier this week the deaths demonstrate systemic issues across the country. She is demanding accountability from police through independent investigations into each of the deaths.
“Time and again, we have witnessed the consequences of law enforcement’s failure to employ de-escalation techniques and culturally informed practices,” she said in a statement.
“We will continue to call for action to address these failures and expect full transparency in cases where lives have been needlessly lost.”
Members of Parliament are set to hold an emergency debate in the House of Commons on Monday evening on the matter. Monday marks the first day of the fall sitting of the House of Commons after a summer break.
CityNews has reached out to ASIRT and Calgary police for confirmation of identity, as well as Wells’ family.
-With files from The Canadian Press.