Toronto: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has mourned the deaths of two police officers killed in the line of duty this week, including Indo-Canadian provincial constable Tarun Bali.
Bali, a constable with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), was killed on Tuesday near the township of Hearst in Ontario, while Toronto Police Constable Marc Pinizzotto was shot during the course of an operation in the early hours of Thursday.
In a post on X, Carney said, “Canada mourns the loss of these brave officers who dedicated their lives to protecting their communities.”
“My prayers are with their loved ones, their fellow officers, and their communities in this time of grief,” he added.
Justin Veronneau, 18, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with Bali’s death. Another teenager, 19-year-old Nicholas Bennett will face the same charge in relation to the killing of 43-year-old Pinizzotto.
On Wednesday, the Toronto landmark, CN Tower, was dimmer for five minutes every hour to honour Bali. It did so again on Thursday in memory of Pinizzotto.
Pinizzotto’s death came as Toronto Police officers were conducting an investigation linked to multiple firearms-related incident, including several rounds that were fired at the United States Consulate in the city on March 10, which, at the time, was described by law enforcement as a “national security incident”.
As police searched a residential building in the city in the early hours of Thursday, there was an exchange of gunfire, killing Pinizzotto, and leaving Bennett in a critical condition.
Police are looking for another 19-year-old suspect Zara Jabbi.
Bali, meanwhile, was killed during an investigation as officers looked for Veronneau, who had fled from a hospital where he was undergoing a mental health assessment.
Bali was struck by a vehicle and suffered serious injuries, which claimed his life.
OPP officers will take out a procession on Friday, to accompany Bali’s remains.
