An 18-year-old is facing a murder charge in the death of an OPP officer near Hearst.
Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Thomas Carrique announced late Tuesday afternoon that Constable Tarun Bali was seriously injured and died while conducting an investigation around 12:30 Tuesday afternoon, with one person in custody - Carrique confirmed that night the accused is an 18-year-old man who'd escaped from a hospital, where he was being assessed under the Mental Health Act, and that he allegedly hit Bali with a vehicle as police attempted to apprehend the teen, who was later taken into custody by the OPP, assisted by a Nishnawbe Aski Police officer.
Carrique says the man's been charged with first-degree murder plus two counts each of flight from police and dangerous driving, though the OPP's Criminal Investigation Branch is still investigating the circumstances of Bali's death, assisted by the Office of the Chief Coroner and Ontario Forensic Pathology Service.
Constable Bali had been a member of the OPP for 2.5 years, assigned to the Dufferin Detachment - though he'd been deployed with the James Bay Detachment at the time of his death - and Commissioner Carrique says "his courage and commitment to serving others will never be forgotten", extending "heartfelt condolences to his loved ones, colleagues, and the policing community" for the "immeasurable loss" - Premier Doug Ford's also offered condolences, saying he was "deeply saddened" to hear about the death in the line of duty.