Family, police dispute imitation firearm in altercation death in Saskatoon hospital

The family of a man who died in an altercation with hospital security in Saskatoon are disputing whether an imitation firearm was in the room. 

Saskatoon police say drugs and an imitation weapon were found in the hospital room where 36-year-old Trevor Dubois died Friday.

His niece Jayden Dubois, and his mother Val Dubois, told a news conference Monday the firearm was a cigarette holder and lighter in pink and yellow colours.

Val Dubois said the revelation from police hits like "a dagger" and says she wants answers on what happened.

"Trevor would never hurt anybody," she said. "I just want answers. How did this happen?"

Police say the security officers entered the room last week at Royal University Hospital on reports a firearm was seen inside.

They say there was an altercation when security attempted to restrain the man, and he became unresponsive and died. 

They say along with the imitation gun, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia were found in the room. 

Dubois was a First Nations member. Mark Arcand, the Tribal Chief of the Saskatoon Tribal Council, urged people not to speculate on what happened, but said Trevor "was assaulted and there was a major crime committed that took his life."

Trevor Dubois' brother, Ryan, also urged people to not to jump to conclusions, saying, "Let them do the investigation."

But he questioned the training done for hospital security staff to de-escalate difficult situations.

"No security should have the right to kill or murder anyone," he said.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu