Updated June 18, 2026 @ 2:44pm
An Ontario Provincial Police constable killed on the job last week was remembered as a loving husband and son andthe "glue" in his group of colleagues as fellow officers, family members and dignitaries paid their final respects on Thursday.
A photo of Const. Tarun Bali as a young boy, beaming and saluting, was placed at the front of the packed Mississauga funeral venue as bagpipes rang out and uniformed OPP pallbearers carried his coffin down the aisle.
Beneath the gleeful childhood photo was one of an adult Bali in uniform, the man the police force described as a proud Canadian who served with integrity and dedication.
Before the funeral got underway, police officers lined up in pouring rain for the arrival of the hearse with a large Canadian flag in the backdrop.
Bali, 29, was fatally struck by a vehicle last week in the northern Ontario town of Hearst, as police tried to stop a man who had escaped from a hospital. An 18-year-old has been charged with first-degree murder in the case.
Bali's wife, Komal Sharma Bali, said she spent hours poring over photos to hold onto memories of a spouse who always "came home with kindness," despite the weight of his job.
"Tarun was my safe place, my greatest love, my home," she said. "He was the person I turned to without even thinking, and he somehow made even the heaviest days feel lighter."
Her voice catching, she told Bali's fellow officers that they shouldn't blame themselves for his death as they replay his final moments in their minds.
"Sometimes, as painful as it is to accept, even our very best efforts can't change the outcome. That's not your fault," she said.
Hindu priests chanted in Sanskrit and offered final prayers for Bali's soul, believed to be eternal. Attendees then rose to their feet and officers stood at attention as OPP Const. Richard Pauls sang O Canada ahead of a moment of silence.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford told mourners that he had a heart-wrenching conversation with Bali’s widow.
Bali's death is felt across the province, including the Brampton neighbourhood where he grew up and the places where his OPP "family" resides, the premier said.
"We can never properly repay the debt of gratitude that this province owes him," Ford said, promising the late officer's legacy will live on forever.
Bali's funeral service is not open to the general public, but the OPP allowed people to observe the funeral cortege as it travelled west on Highway 407 from Thornhill to the Mississauga Sports and Entertainment Centre.
The service is being livestreamed on the OPP's YouTube page.
Dumond said Bali’s death is a reminder of “the profound realities of policing.”
Bali is one of two officers killed on the job in the province this month. Const. Marc Pinizzotto, a Toronto police veteran, was shot dead last week during a raid linked to investigations into multiple shootings, including one at the U.S. Consulate in March.
“The impact of Tarun’s service and life reach far beyond the calls for service that he answered, and he will be remembered for that,” Dumond said.
Bali's family said they would appreciate donations to the SickKids Foundation.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2026.
