WATCH LIVE: Funeral for Ontario police officer killed in Highway 401 crash underway

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LIVE NOW: Funeral procession for OPP officer killed in the line of duty

‘Very emotional day for everybody’: Lewis on fallen OPP officer

A funeral is underway for Sgt. Brandon Malcolm, the Ontario Provincial Police officer who was killed in a single-vehicle motorcycle crash on Highway 401 last week.

Thousands of police officers filled the Cobourg Community Centre Wednesday for the service as Malcolm’s casket, draped in an Ontario flag, was carried into the space.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford spoke at the ceremony, telling Malcolm’s family: “Our hearts break for you.”

“As we remember Sgt. Malcolm, I want to assure his loved ones and his colleagues that all of Ontario grieves with you in the face of this terrible loss,” he said.

Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor Edith Dumont and OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique also spoke at the service, which was attended by all levels of government.

“A rapidly-rising young leader whose experience and contributions far exceeded his years of service. Whatever he did, he was all in,” Carrique said.

“The only thing bigger than his physical presence was his positive energy.”

The hearse carrying Malcolm’s body departed from a funeral home in Oshawa at approximately 8:30 a.m. ET and arrived at the centre about an hour later. Thousands of police officers were seen lining the route.

“He was somebody who always wanted to be a police officer. That was his dream,” OPP Sgt. Joe Brisebois told CP24 outside of the centre on Wednesday. “He was somebody who was passionate about his community, a hard worker and it’s just a great loss for everyone.”

The funeral is not open for the public to attend in-person, but the OPP is streaming the service which will be carried live on CTVNewsToronto.ca and CP24.com, as well as on the CTV News and CP24 apps.

Malcolm, 33, died while on duty on April 27 after a crash in Cobourg. The circumstances leading to the crash are still under investigation. His body was brought to the Centre of Forensic Sciences in Toronto following the incident.

Malcolm joined the Northumberland Detachment of the OPP in June 2020 and served as a member of the force’s Golden Helmets, a specialized motorcycle team.

He previously served as a combat engineer with the Canadian Armed Forces and was an auxiliary member of the Toronto Police Service.