Councils seeking ways to honour Tarun Bali, Marc Pinizzotto

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The mayors of Brampton and Mississauga said their city councils will consider renaming parks after two local police officers who were killed last week in the line of duty.

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Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown released a statement on Monday saying that he will bring forward a motion at Wednesday’s council meeting to “honour the life and service” of OPP Const. Tarun Bali.

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The meeting is scheduled before Thursday morning’s funeral service for Bali at the Mississauga Sports and Entertainment Centre after the 29-year-old was struck and killed by a vehicle in Hearst, Ont., a small town on Hwy. 11 between Thunder Bay and North Bay, while assisting in an investigation.

Justin Veronneau, 18, of Hearst, is charged with murder and other offences linked to Bali’s death.

Bali a ‘son of Brampton’

“Tarun Bali’s connection to Brampton is profound,” Brown’s statement said. “He was raised in our city after his family immigrated to Canada from India and he maintained strong family ties here throughout his life.

“He was, in many ways, a son of Brampton.”

To that end, Brown said his motion seeks to ensure that Bali’s “legacy of service and sacrifice is permanently recognized” and that they work with the family to find a suitable park to honour him.

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The statement came after Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish said their council would also consider renaming Indian Gate Park in the city’s south end in honour of slain Toronto Police Const. Marc Pinizzotto.

The agenda for Wednesday morning’s special council meeting says that council will discuss renaming the park in a closed session.

Pinizzotto called an ‘incredible son, husband, father’

Parrish, who plans to put forward the motion, told CityNews that the park south of the QEW between Erin Mills Parkway and Mississauga Rd. was frequented by Pinizzotto and his brothers when they were younger.

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She said in a social media post on Sunday that the 43-year-old father of two was described as an “incredible son, husband, father, coach and friend to many.”

Pinizzotto, a member of the Toronto Police Emergency Task Force, was shot and killed on Thursday while serving a warrant at a North York apartment building.

Nicholas Bennett, 19, who was shot multiple times during the exchange, is charged with first-degree murder.

A Sunday procession took Pinizzotto’s body to the Kane-Jerrett Funeral Home in Thornhill ahead of a service that is expected to be announced in the coming days.

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