Police officers, dignitaries, family members and community leaders gathered in Mississauga on Thursday to pay their final respects to OPP Constable Tarun Bali, the 29-year-old officer who was killed in the line of duty last week in northern Ontario.
Bali, a Brampton native and member of the Ontario Provincial Police, died on June 9 while attempting to stop a vehicle in Hearst, Ontario, alongside members of the James Bay Detachment. He was struck and killed during the incident while responding to a call involving a suspect who had reportedly fled a hospital where he was being assessed under the Mental Health Act.
His funeral was held at the Mississauga Sports and Entertainment Centre, where hundreds of officers from police services across Canada stood in formation despite heavy rain to honour their fallen colleague. Bali’s casket, draped in the Ontario flag, was carried into the arena by fellow officers as Hindu prayers were offered by Pandit Abhay Shashtri and Acharya Sudarshan Sharma.
OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique reflected on the weather that greeted mourners, saying the rain symbolized the strength and unity of the policing community.
“As we stood outside and the skies opened up, we stood together,” Carrique said. “We are all in this together.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford delivered an emotional tribute, describing Bali as a man who consistently put others before himself.
“Tarun Bali was a man who put others before himself and who led by example, no matter the risk,” Ford said. “His legacy will live on forever.”
Ford noted that Bali’s loss is being felt across Ontario, from his hometown of Brampton to the communities he served throughout his policing career.
Lieutenant Governor Edith Dumont highlighted Bali’s courage and commitment to public service, noting that he volunteered for deployment to northern Ontario and willingly accepted the risks associated with protecting others.
Chief Superintendent Jon Dumond remembered Bali as a unifying presence within his detachment, describing him as “the glue” that held colleagues together during difficult moments. He recalled a January emergency call in which Bali and fellow officers worked tirelessly to save a person’s life by performing CPR until paramedics arrived.
Bali was assigned to the Dufferin OPP Detachment in Orangeville and was serving on temporary deployment with the James Bay Detachment at the time of his death. He was also a dedicated volunteer with Peel Region Victim Services.
The officer’s death marks the second line-of-duty loss for the Ontario Provincial Police in recent months. It comes just days after Toronto Police Constable Marc Pinizzotto was fatally shot while executing a search warrant in North York.
Following Bali’s death, a solemn procession travelled along Ontario’s Highway of Heroes, where first responders and members of the public gathered on overpasses to pay tribute as his body was transported to Toronto.
The accused, 18-year-old Justin Veronneau of Hearst, has been charged with first-degree murder, assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, fleeing police and dangerous driving offences.
As mourners filled the arena and officers stood shoulder-to-shoulder in tribute, the service served as a powerful reminder of Bali’s dedication to public safety and the profound impact he left on his colleagues, community and province.
