A Durham police recruit who was killed in a collision on Tuesday near Aylmer, Ont. is being remembered by his employer as a “compassionate, dedicated, and service-driven individual who believed deeply in helping others and making a positive difference in the community.”
In a statement, Durham Regional Police Service shared that Tyrone Magbitang, a 27-year-old constable-in-training, joined the force in May 2023 as a special constable.
This past April, he was selected as a police constable recruit, police said, taking the “next step toward achieving his lifelong dream of becoming a police officer.”
The cadet had completed his studies in police foundations at Durham College and was pursuing a career in public safety with “determination, humility, and an unwavering commitment to serving those around him,” DRPS said.
Police went on to say that while Magbitang’s service with them was “far too short,” he made a “lasting impression.”
“He will be remembered for his kindness, professionalism, and the tremendous potential he brought to our organization,” DRPS said.
“His loss is deeply felt throughout the Durham Regional Police Service and the wider policing community.”
Tim Morrison, of the Durham Region Police Association (DRPA), told CTV News Toronto that Magbitang’s colleagues “always talked of him as a very genuine person, a genuine individual that they could all count on.”
Magbitang, along with another unnamed cadet, were travelling to the Ontario Police College for training late Tuesday morning when they collided with a transport truck. The college is located in the Township of Malahide.
The OPP confirmed Magbitang was driving a sedan that was involved in the deadly crash.
Police said he died at the scene, while the other trainee, the passenger in that vehicle, sustained life-threatening injuries and was rushed to a local hospital.
The driver of the tractor-trailer, meanwhile, was not hurt.
Magbitang active in boxing, running, fundraising
Jennifer Huggins, the owner of Kingsway Boxing Club and founder of Fight to End Cancer, met Magbitang about 10 years ago and considered him a close friend.
She said he first came into her life through Boxing Ontario, when she served as the president of the governing body for Olympic-style (amateur) boxing.
Magbitang’s father, Garry, had a mixed martial arts gym, said Huggins who remembered her friend as a “really eager” volunteer whose background in martial arts and kickboxing laid the foundation for him to get into the sport of boxing.
“(Tyrone) showed up to everything that he could and we just built a friendship from there,” she told CP24 on Wednesday afternoon.
Huggins said she learned of Magbitang’s death when she received a call on Tuesday. The devastating news, she said, has left her “floored” and “speechless.”
“There’s really nothing you can say when you lose somebody, but especially when you lose somebody who’s just got nothing more than just life ahead of him and a journey to tell already at 27 years old,” she said.
Huggins said she was one of two references Magbitang used to get into Durham Regional Police Service.
“He was very excited to get on the force and I couldn’t have been more excited for him,” she said.
Magbitang was also the founder of The Rookie Division Run Club, she added, which is made up of members of law enforcement agencies, first responders, and community leaders who raise funds to end cancer. Huggins said their goal is to run across North America.
“His hands were in so many different things (but) he still made time for the community,” she said.
Huggins shared that Magbitang always referred to her as Superwoman, but said she saw him as “a truly super man when it came to anything with a community, with our cause, and with fight to end cancer.”
“He proved to me at some of the hardest times during COVID that defeat was not an option,” she said.
“We will continue to fight, and you know, continue to represent him and his legacy, and make sure that you his run and his run family, his Rookie Division continues to rally behind him, and ensure that you know he just stays with us, because he has created so much in such a short period of time.”
One of the ways Huggins said they could honour Magbitang’s legacy is through an event they had been organizing for August with the Police Fit Games. Those plans are still in the works, she said.
‘Truly a once-in-10-lifetimes kind of person’
John Valeri is the co-founder of Rookie Division, which raises funds for cancer research at the Princess Margaret Hospital.
He said he first met Magbitang back in 2019 when they both attended Durham College for Police Foundations. The two became fast friends, taking classes together, working on projects, and continuing their friendship after graduation as running buddies among other things, Valeri shared.
Both he and Magbitang also ran with the Running Water Run Club, which meets Monday evenings at the Whitby waterfront. He said this past Monday was the last time he saw Magbitang, who had brought cheesecake for all to enjoy.
“To me, you were family, a brother and most importantly, one of my closest friends and comrade. You touched the lives of everyone you met and left a positive impact on them, no matter how long or short they had known you. I’ve never met anyone else with this level of impact and consistency,” Valeri said in a written tribute provided to CP24.
“I looked up to you, gladly accepted you as my fitness rival, and had the privilege of walking alongside you as you chased your goals in life. It was truly an honour to watch you live life to the fullest, bringing me and so many of your loved ones along for the journey.”
He went on to say that they accomplished so much together and he feels “so lucky” to have had those lasting memories with Magbitang.
Valeri, who called Magbitang a “truly a once-in-10-lifetimes kind of person”, said he’s struggling to cope with his untimely and unexpected death.
“This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to navigate. It feels like a nightmare you can’t wake up from,” he shared, calling Magbitang the “most compassionate, caring, empathetic, and inclusive person I have ever met,” someone who in his short time on earth “accomplished more than most people do in an entire lifetime.”
“I will forever cherish our memories, our laughs, our trips, and every km we shared. I’m forever grateful we soaked up all the last bits of time together before you embarked on your final departure.”
Body transported to Toronto
On Wednesday afternoon, Magbitang’s body was transported from London to the Centre for Forensic Sciences near Highway 401 and Keele Street in Toronto.
He was accompanied by loved ones as well as members of DRPS as a “mark of respect and in recognition of his service and commitment to the profession he aspired to join,” police said.
“On behalf of the Durham Regional Police Service, we extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to Tyrone’s family, friends, colleagues, and loved ones. We mourn alongside them and remain committed to supporting all those affected by this unimaginable loss,” said DRPS.
“We respectfully ask that the privacy of Tyrone’s family and those mourning his loss be honoured during this difficult time.”
Magbitang’s death comes during a difficult time for Ontario’s policing community, which is still reeling from the deaths of two officers in separate incidents last month.
“All these folks are out there every single day risking their lives, working hard for their communities. And I think we’ve seen an unprecedented amount of of tragedy in our profession and we’re hoping that we’ve turned a corner,” Morrison, of the DRPA, said.
Funeral arrangements are still in the works.
With files from CTV News Toronto’s Mike Walker
