OPP officer killed in on-duty crash on Hwy. 401 identified as investigation continues

On-duty OPP officer Sgt. Brandon Malcolm was killed in a motorcycle crash on Highway 401 in Cobourg. Courtney Heels reports.

Reaction is continuing to pour in after an on-duty motorcycle collision on Hwy. 401 that claimed the life of an Ontario Provincial Police officer on Monday.

The crash happened at around 5:30 p.m. near Burnham Street North. The highway was closed in both directions between Highway 28 in Port Hope and Burnham Street North while a full investigation was conducted, however it reopened just after 4:30 a.m.

The OPP officer killed in the collision has since been identified as Sgt. Brandon Malcolm, 33.

The OPP said Malcolm joined the OPP in June 2020 and served his entire career with the Northumberland Detachment.

He was also a member of the Golden Helmets precision motorcycle riding team and served with the Canadian Armed Forces before joining the OPP.

In an interview with CP24 on Tuesday, former OPP Commissioner and CTV News public safety analyst Chris Lewis said that Malcom was beloved by his colleagues and his loss will be felt throughout the policing community.

“I didn’t know him personally but I had met him at various events over the years and I know that he was very well considered. So the impact on the OPP right across the organization is tremendous as well as it is on other police services,” he said. “He was certainly someone that had public service in mind all his life just based on the fact that he was a a voluntary auxiliary officer and then a member of our Canadian Armed Forces.”

Overnight, dozens of police officers participated in a procession as Malcom’s body was transported to the chief coroner’s office in downtown Toronto.

Speaking with CP24, Lewis said that the loss of a police officer in a on-duty incident is always “hard to take.”

“Certainly this never gets easy. Every time I hear an officer has been killed somewhere, particularly in the OPP obviously because of my background, it just breaks my heart,” he said. “It is one of those things that comes with the job sadly because things like this do happen but it is always very hard to take.”

The circumstances surrounding the collision remain unclear and police continue to investigate.

In a statement on Monday night, the OPP Association called the crash a “tragedy” and noted that it “reminds us of the dangers our Members face every day while serving and protecting the citizens of Ontario.”

OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique also commented on the collision in a post to social media late Monday.

“We honour his service and bravery as we grieve this tremendous loss. We extend our deepest condolences and mourn alongside his loved ones and OPP colleagues across the province,” he said.