'Why didn't they keep him safe?' family says of man who died in Winnipeg police custody on Sherbrook Street

A vigil was held Thursday night for a man who died while being taken into police custody in Winnipeg'sWest Broadway area this past weekend.

A spokesperson for theWebequie First Nation which is almost550kilometres north of Thunder Bay, Ont. identifiedElias Whitehead as the man who died.

Family and friends of Whitehead, along with community members, gathered at the Shell gas station on SherbrookStreet and Broadway, where there was smudging andother rituals. Amemorial with flowers and candles was also erected.

A statement from Whitehead's family provided to CBC said "he was loved, he had goals," and was a skilled carpenter for several years.

He also had his heavy duty mechanic certificate and was set to graduate from heavy equipment operator training, which is why he was in Winnipeg, the statement said.

Webequie First Nation Chief Cornelius Wabasse said in a statement Thursday afternoon the First Nation extends its "sincerest condolences to the family of this member."

He also noted witnesses took video footage of the Sunday incident in Winnipeg.

On Monday,witnesses toldCBC they werestunned after watching who they believe were two police officers repeatedly puncha manlying on the ground on Sherbrook Street.

The First Nation said that because the incident is being independently investigated by the province's police watchdog, no further comment could be made at this time.

The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba, which investigates serious incidents involving police in the province, said it was notified ofanin-custody death by the Winnipeg Police Service Monday and is investigating.

Police told the investigative unit the man started to have difficulty breathing during his arrest, theIIUsaid in a news release. He received immediate medical care from Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service members, who were nearby responding to an unrelated incident, police told the investigative unit.

The manwas taken to Health Sciences Centre, where he was pronounced dead.

Whitehead's familysaid in its statement while he was fromWebequie First Nation, "he resided inTataskweyak Cree Nation," which is also known as Split Lake about 125 kilometres east of the northern Manitoba city of Thompson.

The family's statementsaid he was "a quiet, gentle soul" and a "very humble" man, who would "help anyone who needed it and would befriendanyone."

Police chief sharesdetails in Substackpost

Winnipeg police told the IIU officers were called to Sherbrook Street, in the West Broadway area, shortly before 11 p.m.Sunday, with a report of a man "acting erratically" in traffic, according to the investigative unit's Tuesday news release.

The officers responded after a woman called 911 for help,Winnipeg police ChiefDanny Smyth wrote in a Substackpost Thursday.

Smyth wrote that officers were told a man had jumped in front of the woman's vehicle,started punching her window and tried to enter it. The woman indicated there was blood on her car, Smyth wrote.

Police were also contacted by a second callerconcernedabout the man in traffic, the post said. Smyth said in the post that "this was the beginning of a call that was classified as a well-being check."

That couldinvolve"anything from a person in mental health crisis to a person in a drug-induced psychosis to a person acting hysterical for unknown reasons," he wrote.

WATCH |Ontario First Nation names man who died in Winnipeg police custody:

Ontario First Nation names man who died in Winnipeg police custody on Sherbrook Street

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A spokesperson for the First Nation identified Elias Whitehead as the man who died. The First Nation said that because the incident is being independently investigated by the province's police watchdog, no further comment could be made at this time.

Smyth wrote that officers located the man, who was combative and acting erratically. They tried to take him into custody, but were met with resistance, the police chief's post said.

There was a struggle as officers used force to restrain and control the manand during the encounter hewent into medical distress, the post said.

The Winnipeg Fire ParamedicService was called to assistand the manlater died in hospital, Smyth said in the post.

Smyth also wrotein the Substackthat the Winnipeg Police Service will cooperate fully with the IIU investigation. He added that he's "confident that the WPS members involved in this event were well trained and will account for the actions they took, including the level of force used to control the situation."

Whitehead's family said in its statement that although they can't discuss they ongoing investigation, they questioned why police didn't protect theirloved one.

"Where was Elias' help, why didn't they keep him safe?" the statement said.