OPP Constable Tarun Bali, 29, Dies After Being Struck by Vehicle During Arrest Attempt Near Hearst; 18-Year-Old Charged with First-Degree Murder
The 29-year-old officer from Brampton was investigating a suspect who had escaped hospital custody. Justin Veronneau, 18, faces first-degree murder and related charges.
winnipegfreepress.comConst. Tarun Bali, a 29-year-old Ontario Provincial Police officer raised in Brampton, died after being struck by a vehicle during an investigation near Hearst on Tuesday. Bali had volunteered for a backfill assignment in northern Ontario to address staffing shortages.
He had served with the OPP for two and a half years. Justin Veronneau, 18, of Hearst has been charged with first-degree murder, dangerous driving and resisting arrest. Officers were attempting to arrest Veronneau after he escaped from a hospital where he was being assessed under the Mental Health Act when Bali was struck, the OPP said.
Veronneau is scheduled to appear in court on June 24. The OPP Criminal Investigation Branch is examining the circumstances of Bali’s death together with the Office of the Chief Coroner and Ontario Forensic Pathology Service. Flags on federal buildings across Ontario, except the Peace Tower in Ottawa, were lowered to half-mast from Wednesday through sunset Monday.
Brampton and the City of Kitchener also lowered flags at municipal buildings. ” Brown said he has spoken with Solicitor General Michael Kerzner and Premier Doug Ford about plans to honour the officer. A memorial service is expected in the coming days.
Roger Sigouin, mayor of Hearst, a town of about 5,000, said the incident left the close-knit community stunned. “It’s not something you want to hear, something you don’t want to go through,” Sigouin said. Bali worked on Kitchener’s bylaw enforcement team from 2021 to 2023.
Flags at Kitchener city buildings will remain at half-mast until the memorial service. Scott Mills, a spokesperson for the Ontario Provincial Police Association, said colleagues described Bali as “a perfect gentleman” who was well respected. Mills said agencies across Canada and internationally have offered support and that 24/7 mental health resources are available to officers affected by the death.
