Man who died after being apprehended at a hotel in Calgary was recognised as a member of the Blood Tribe

APTN has identified the man who died following an arrest by Calgary police on Tuesday as Jon Wells, a 42-year-old member of the Blood Tribe in Southern Alberta.

According to the Calgary Police Service (CPS), officers responded to a call at the Carriage House Hotel and Conference Centre on Macleod Trail SE just before 1 a.m. on Sept. 17. The report indicated a man was causing a disturbance and refusing to leave.

When police arrived, they found the man behaving erratically in the hotel lobby.

CPS claims officers attempted to calm the situation, but the man was uncooperative.

A struggle ensued between the man and police, during which an officer deployed a taser. CPS stated that the man continued to resist, prompting another officer to use pepper spray.

The man was arrested and placed in custody, but shortly afterward, he experienced medical distress, CPS reported. Despite the efforts of emergency responders, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT), the provincial police watchdog, is now investigating the incident.

'A great cowboy'

Family members remember Wells as a unique cowboy with a kind heart and an infectious smile, according to social media tributes. They noted that he had served as the former president of the Blood Tribe Agricultural Society and was the 2012 Indian National Finals Rodeo steer wrestling tour champion.

The Indian National Finals Rodeo also expressed condolences on social media, offering prayers for Wells’ family and friends. "A great cowboy who will be missed," they wrote. "Rest easy."

Wells was also reportedly a father of three daughters, and his funeral is tentatively planned for early next week, according to family members.

A concerning trend

Wells is the seventh person to die in police custody across Canada since August 29.

On August 30, 15-year-old Hoss Lightning-Saddleback from Samson Cree First Nation was shot by police after calling 911, saying people were trying to harm him. According to ASIRT, while initially cooperative, Lightning-Saddleback fled from officers, leading to the shooting.

Other recent deaths include Jack Piché of Clearwater Dené Nation, who was hit by an RCMP vehicle on August 29, and Tammy Bateman of Roseau River First Nation, who was struck by a Winnipeg police car on September 2.

Additionally, Jason West was shot by police in Windsor, Ontario, on September 6, while Steven Dedam was killed by police at Elsipogtog First Nation in New Brunswick on September 8, in response to a report that Dedam was armed and threatening self-harm. On the same day, Daniel Knife was shot and killed by RCMP officers during a confrontation at Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation in Saskatchewan.

In response to these incidents, Indigenous communities have been sharing images of the deceased on social media, calling for increased awareness of deaths involving police and stronger protections for their communities.

Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, addressed the issue earlier in the week, pointing to systemic problems across the country and calling for independent investigations into these deaths.

“We continue to witness the consequences of law enforcement's failure to use de-escalation techniques and culturally informed approaches,” she said in a statement. “We demand action to address these failures and expect full transparency in cases where lives have been unnecessarily lost.”

Parliament is scheduled to hold an emergency debate on the issue in the House of Commons on Monday, the first day of the fall session after the summer recess.

CityNews has reached out to ASIRT, Calgary police, and Wells’ family for further details and confirmation of his identity.