SASKATOON — Saskatchewan's police watchdog says it is investigating a man's death after he was arrested on a First Nation northeast of Saskatoon.
The Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team says Mounties were called to the James Smith Cree Nation for reports that the man was using bear spray in a home.
The agency says the 29-year-old fled after officers told him he was going to be arrested under the Mental Health Services Act.
It says officers briefly chased him and did not use a stun gun before handcuffing him. The man went into medical distress and died after they attempted life-saving measures, including administering naloxone several times.
James Smith Cree Nation was the site of a mass stabbing nearly three years ago, which saw 10 people killed and 17 injured before Myles Sanderson killed another person in the nearby community of Weldon.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2025.
The Canadian Press
