Constable Artem “James” Otchakovski is seen in this photo supplied by Peel Regional Police.
The Peel police officer who passed away after a collision was on his way to assist a colleague when his cruiser crashed into another vehicle earlier this week.
Constable Artem "James" Otchakovski, 36, died Tuesday night of head injuries, surrounded by his wife Erin and fellow officers.
"It's a very sombre atmosphere," Peel Regional Police Chief Mike Metcalf told a news conference Wednesday morning. "I think it's painful for a lot of his colleagues on the same platoon. It's an overall sadness, I think, within our organization right now."
The collision occurred as Const. Otchakovski was heading to help a fellow police officer transport an individual, which Chief Metcalf characterized as a "non-emergency situation". Police are still investigating and are appealing for witnesses to come forward.
Photographs taken after the crash show Const. Otchakovski's mangled police cruiser wrapped around a light standard. Chief Metcalf said investigators do not know how fast he was travelling at the time of the crash, which happened shortly after 11 p.m. Monday at the intersection of Airport Road and Steeles Avenue in Brampton, Ont. They are having difficulty retrieving a GPS unit from the wreckage of his vehicle that could provide information on speed.
Chief Metcalf did not rule out charges against the other driver, a 22-year-old Brampton man who was treated for minor injuries.
Const. Otchakovski is the first Peel Regional Police officer to die on the job in 25 years. Arrangements for his full police honour funeral have not yet been finalized.
"The coming days will be difficult for us [as]we prepare to pay tribute to a fine young officer who cared for his family and served his community with pride. The loss of one of our own is a tragedy that affects all of us," Chief Metcalf said.
Const. Otchakovski, who lived in Barrie, joined Peel police less than two years ago, after working as a security guard for Brinks. From Moldova in the former Soviet Union, he immigrated to Israel before settling in Canada. Chief Metcalf, who is in his fifth year atop the force of roughly 1,800 uniformed officers, said the constable had worked as a chef and was "an ideal recruit," noting he spoke Russian, Hebrew and Ukrainian in addition to English.
"We usually bring people into the organization and mould them, but this was someone who came in at age 35, which is kind of unusual, and helped us," Chief Metcalf said in a later interview. "As a chief, it's a tough thing to take, the worst day of my administration. Nobody wants this to happen on their watch but it's a risk we all take."
Const. Otchakovski leaves his wife of four years and their three-year-old son, Owen.
"They're devastated," Chief Metcalf said. "They're trying to cope and we're trying to help them cope with it. But it's a life-altering experience. Obviously Erin will never get over this."
With a report from Timothy Appleby