Province mourns ‘hero’ OPP Const. Tarun Bali laid to rest

Fallen Ontario Provincial Police Const. Tarun Bali is being remembered as a man who put others before himself no matter the risk.

Bali, 29, was fatally struck by a vehicle in the northern Ontario town of Hearst as police tried to stop a man who had escaped from a hospita

Police have charged an 18-year-old with first-degree murder in the case.

Bali’s funeral service was held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday in Mississauga and was not open to the general public.

Officers, family members and dignitaries paid their final respects, emphasizing that Bali’s childhood dream was to be a police officer and Ontario will forever remember him as a hero.

Premier Doug Ford said the grief over Bali’s passing is shared across the province, from the Brampton neighborhood of his youth to the communities where his extended OPP family lives.

“We can never properly repay the debt of gratitude that this province owes him,” Ford said.

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“The glue holding the group together during every challenge” is how Chief Supt. Karl Thomas, Bali’s regional commander, remembered him.

Supt. Jon Dumond described the fallen officer to have a genuine warmth that drew people in. He recalled Bali’s willingness to work countless hours across 11 detachments in Ontario and through his volunteer work with Peel Region victim services.

“Many people knew him as a police officer but I knew him as the man who carried the weight of this profession but still came home with kindness,”  said.

His wife referred to him as a “light” that remains alive through the impact he made on others.

Two officers have now lost their lives on the job in the province this month. Alongside Bali, Const. Marc Pinizzotto, a Toronto police veteran, was shot and killed last week during a raid linked to multiple investigations, notably a shooting at the U.S. Consulate in March.

Bali’s family said they would appreciate donations to the SickKids Foundation.

With Files From The Canadian Press

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