‘He had this contagious smile that can just make you smile when you’re having a hard day,’ said Jon’s sister, Leslie
Marchers demanded justice for Wells’ death, which occurred at a Calgary hotel after officers “applied various uses of force” during an altercation that lasted more than three minutes.
Stories and memories of Wells were shared outside the Carriage House Inn, where he died Sept. 17 after repeatedly saying to officers “I don’t want to die.”
“We just want to make sure that people know who Jon was,” his sister, Leslie Wells, said in an interview before the walk began to the CPS District 6 office.
“Jon was a very handsome, humble and loving father, brother, friend, son,” she said. “As tragic as this situation was — which could have totally been prevented — we just want (people) to know who he was; this kind, non-combative person.”
As several hundred people began to file into the parking lot outside the hotel, Leslie Wells said: “This is a special time; we want justice, we want justice for Jon, and we’re not going to stop.”
She extended that justice to all Indigenous men “who’ve gone at the hands of police. We want justice for all of them.”
‘I really pray that we get justice’
Shane Little Bear, who says he was a mentor to Jon Wells, spoke to the crowd before the walk began.
“Growing up watching this guy, I taught him how to steer wrestle, he had the kindest heart,” he said. “Today, you know, I really pray that we get justice.”
Leslie Wells says she’ll remember her brother’s smile and his kind words.
“He was a godfather to my daughter, and the encouragement he gave to not just her but to everybody, all the youth, all the girls and boys who are in the rodeo sport — he had this contagious smile that can just make you smile when you’re having a hard day.”
She doesn’t know why he was at the Carriage House Inn that night.
“There had to have been a reason why he came here. He wouldn’t have just shown up to cause trouble,” she said.
Calgary police need to learn more about Indigenous people: sister
As the walk began to the sound of beating drums, the crowd made its way along Bonaventure Drive S.W., making several stops for prayer.
More words were shared and tears were shed once the march arrived at the police station.
The lesson for Calgary police, Leslie Wells said, is they need to learn more about Indigenous people.
“They need to know the cultural safety, the cultural competency of approaching Indigenous men,” she said. “The traumas that our people have gone through, the intergenerational traumas, the residential schools, every one of us are going to feel scared when we see someone of authority.”
During National Day for Truth and Reconciliation at The Confluence (formerly Fort Calgary), residential school survivor and member of Siksika First Nation Robin Big Snake remembered Jon Wells.
“Justice must prevail. These are our brothers and sisters who were taken away,” Big Snake said.
“What happened to their slogan, ‘To serve and protect’? Must we keep on hurting?
“I ask you my people, my brothers and sisters, the people of Calgary, we must walk together, hand in hand, to do away with the racism that’s going on.”
— With files from Scott Strasser
