OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique speaks in Cobourg (MBC News photo)
Police services across Ontario, including the Smiths Falls Police Service, are mourning the loss of an Ontario Provincial Police officer killed in the line of duty following a motorcycle crash on Highway 401 in Cobourg.
Sgt. Brandon Malcom has been identified as the officer who died in what investigators believe was a single-vehicle crash in the eastbound lanes Monday. Malcom had served with the Northumberland OPP since 2020, after earlier service as an auxiliary member with the Toronto Police Service and in the Canadian Armed Forces. OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique said policing was not just a job for Malcom — it was his calling.
Carrique, speaking at OPP headquarters in Cobourg late Monday night, described the loss as devastating for Malcom’s family, colleagues and the wider policing community.
Monday was marked as a dark day for first responders across the province, with tributes continuing to pour in. Carrique said the loss is being felt far beyond Northumberland.
The commissioner also confirmed there was a secondary crash in the westbound lanes as officers responded to the initial collision. Another vehicle that had stopped to assist the officer was involved. Details surrounding both crashes remain under investigation.
The Smiths Falls Police Service, in a public statement, extended condolences to the OPP East Region and all those grieving the loss of a respected colleague.
