Calgary, Alberta – Jon Wells, a 42-year-old member of the Blood Tribe, tragically passed away following an altercation with Calgary police. The incident occurred on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at the Carriage House Hotel and Conference Centre on Macleod Trail SE.
According to the Calgary Police Service (CPS), officers responded to a disturbance at the hotel around 1 a.m. and found Wells behaving erratically in the lobby. Despite efforts to de-escalate the situation, Wells reportedly remained uncooperative, leading to a confrontation with officers. The use of a taser and pepper spray followed, and Wells was eventually subdued and taken into custody. Shortly after, he went into medical distress and was pronounced dead despite emergency medical assistance.
Wells’ death has sparked a formal investigation by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT), tasked with examining the actions of the officers involved. His passing marks the seventh police-involved death in Canada since late August, raising concerns about systemic issues in the policing of Indigenous communities.
The incident follows a disturbing pattern of police-involved fatalities involving Indigenous individuals, prompting calls for accountability and reform in law enforcement practices across the country.
Several individuals have expressed their thoughts on social media, including La Adams, who posted, “A man from the Kainai Nation in Alberta is dead after an altercation with Calgary police. Jon Wells is the 7th First Nations person to die after interacting with a Canadian police force.”
Wells’ death has added to the growing national outcry for better police accountability, particularly regarding interactions with Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous leaders, including Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, have called for independent investigations and a review of police practices to address systemic failures and prevent further tragedies.
ASIRT’s investigation into Jon Wells’ death will be closely monitored in the coming weeks, as communities demand justice and meaningful reforms in policing.