Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Brandon Malcolm is being remembered as a “beacon of hope” by his family, friends and fellow officers following his death last week.
Malcolm died in a single-vehicle collision while riding his police motorcycle on Highway 401 east of Toronto on April 27. Malcolm joined the force six years ago and was a member of its precision motorcycle team, known as the Golden Helmets.
“Brandon was not only a devoted police officer, but he was also a beacon of hope in the community,” said Const. Jared Malcolm, Brandon’s brother and an officer with York Regional Police.
“He lived with purpose, he showed up for people, and he never backed out from who he was.”
During his eulogy, Jared spoke to the OPP sergeant’s family, including Vashti Persaud, Malcolm’s wife.
He asked the family to look around and see “just how loved” Malcolm was.
Persaud honoured that love when she spoke at her husband’s funeral Wednesday, remembering how they met at a Toronto mall “in the most ordinary way.”
“What started as a simple meeting turned into a love that became my home, my strength, and my greatest blessing,” she said. “He knew how to make me laugh when I didn’t want to, how to calm me when life felt overwhelmeing and how to remind me about what truly mattered.”
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She told the large gathering of mourners that Malcolm also had “another calling,” and that being an OPP officer wasn’t just a job.
“He believed in protecting people, doing what was right, even when it was hard,” Persaud said. “Of course, that calling came with sacrifices. There were long nights, missed moments and the constant worry that comes with loving someone who runs towards danger when everyone runs away.”
Hundreds gathered at a community centre to honour the late officer following a procession where officers guided the sergeant from Oshawa to the funeral service.
It wasn’t the first procession either, with police, firefighters and civilians gathering on overpasses along Highway 401 last Thursday as Malcolm was carried home.
OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique honoured Malcolm at the funeral for his involvement in the Golden Helmets, saying being a motor officer is an “earned privilege given to the select few.”
“(They’re) a special breed who possess a fierce determination to overcome repeated failure while learning to operate a 900-pound motor with the precision of a surgeon scalpel and the agility and grace of a ballet performance on two wheels,” he said.
Carrique called Malcolm a “natural, gifted and dependable leader,” saying he was grateful to have spent time with the sergeant during his time as a Golden Helmet.
The OPP sergeant was also remembered by his fellow officers as the “calm in the storm,” saying no matter the severity of a call, his colleagues felt things would be “all right” if he was there.
“Malcolm at times had a hard exterior, but in reality, he was a big softie,” said Const. Morgan Murphy. “Things aren’t going to be the same without you and it was an honour to have known you and been part of your life. We love you brother, we got it from here, and Big Sarge, you were truly a hero in life.”
His wife, family and fellow officers acknowledged the risks that come with being a police officer, but expressed their pride in the work he did despite the “unbearable” loss that comes with it.
They also each thanked him for his presence in their lives and would miss him going forward.
“Losing him this way, something I can’t fully put into words, it just doesn’t feel real,” Persaud said. “Yet even in this unbearable pain, I know this: he died doing what he believed in and that is the kind of man he was. Selfless, brave and full of love.
“Thank you for loving me. Thank you for choosing me. Thank you for every moment we had together. I will love you for the rest of my life.”
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