First Nation chief says complaint to be filed against officers following death of respected Blood Tribe member

Blood Tribe Chief Roy Fox said he and the tribe's council will file a formal complaint against three officers following the death of Jon Wells, a Blood Tribe member who died after an altercation with Calgary police.

Fox said they will demand a thorough and transparent investigation into Wells's death on Sept. 17. The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) is handling the investigation and examining the use of force by officers in the case.

Fox said Wells's death is reminiscent of past challenges faced by the First Nation, located in southwestern Alberta.

He said they spoke out in the 1980s about unsolved tragedies affecting their community — as well as the lack of action by law enforcement — in the public inquiry Policing In Relation to the Blood Tribe.

"That inquiry underscored the cultural gap between our people and the police, highlighting the urgent need for understanding and respect," Fox said.

"Today, it is disheartening to find ourselves addressing these issues once again. However, our community has always risen above adversity with strength and resilience. Now, more than ever, we must stand united in our commitment to seek justice for Mr. Wells and ensure that such tragedies do not continue."

Fox described Wells as a respected and beloved member of the First Nation, adding that their hearts are with his family.

Meanwhile, the Criminal Defence Lawyers Association is calling for a continued commitment to public transparency in Wells's death, after an ASIRT report earlier this week revealed "disturbing and alarming" details about the incident.

The association — a Calgary-based group that represents criminal defence lawyers, their clients and those in conflict with the criminal justice system — commended ASIRT's transparency in publicizing details about how Calgary police tackled, punched and deployed stun guns on an unarmed man, who was later confirmed to be Wells.

The Calgary Police Service (CPS) was called via its non-emergency line that night to the Carriage House Hotel and Conference Centre regarding a man causing a disturbance and refusing to leave the hotel. 

The lawyers association noted "concerning differences" between ASIRT's report about the altercation that followed and CPS's initial news release about the incident.

ASIRT's report said two officers deployed stun guns during the incident, after the CPS release said only one had done so. The police service also said Wells went into medical distress at the scene, without including context that ASIRT provided about Wells bleeding from the mouth and vomiting while restrained and lying face down.

CPS also said Wells died despite the efforts of EMS, while omitting that EMS injected Wells with a sedative while he was lying face down in handcuffs, leg restraints and a spit mask, and that Wells was left in this position for three more minutes until he was noted to be unresponsive.

"These significant discrepancies make public transparency a paramount consideration in the continued investigation of this event," the lawyers association said.