Tributes have poured in from fellow cops, fire departments where Whiteside used to work, and politicians in both Bridgeport and his hometown of Danbury. 

In Bridgeport, the department has erected a memorial in Whiteside's patrol car outside police headquarters, with a board on which people have written messages to the late officer. In Danbury, near the site of the crash, the road was decorated with bouquets, crosses and candles as of Thursday morning.

A memorial for Officer Cooper Whiteside in front of the Bridgeport Police Department photographed on July 16, 2026.

Whiteside, 38, was killed alongside 34-year-old New Milford resident Brittany Islami when the motorcycle he was driving collided with an oncoming Jeep on Sugar Hollow Road shortly before 2:45 a.m. Monday. The operator of the Jeep was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, police said.

Both Whiteside and Islami were pronounced dead at the scene.

Cooper Whiteside, a Bridgeport police officer who died in a motorcycle crash in Danbury Monday, also served as a firefighter with the West Redding Volunteer Fire Department.

"Their lives were taken far too soon, and our entire community is grieving alongside their families and loved ones," Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves said in a statement.

On Wednesday, Whiteside's family, along with Bridgeport and state police, organized a procession of his body from the chief medical examiner's office to a Danbury funeral home.

Officers gathered in Danbury on Wednesday for a procession of Bridgeport police officer Cooper Whiteside's casket. Whiteside was killed alongside Brittany Islami in a motorcycle crash on Monday.

Dozens of officers lined the street, saluting, as a hearse carried Whiteside's body past. A caravan of close to 100 police motorcycles and cars, sirens flashing, accompanied the hearse, according to video from the Brookfield Volunteer Fire Department, where Whiteside previously had worked.

Other tributes came from Redding, where Whiteside also worked as a volunteer firefighter and EMT, as well as police departments spanning the state, including from Shelton, Thomaston and Hamden.

New Milford Mayor Pete Bass promoted a GoFundMe campaign that had been set up by family to provide "childcare and support" for Islami's three children, ages 12, 10 and 7.

Brittany Islami, 34, of New Milford, died in a motorcycle crash in Danbury early Monday along with her boyfriend, Bridgeport police Officer Cooper Whiteside, 38, of Danbury.

"They are now facing the unimaginable loss of their mother while their family works to navigate this difficult new reality," Katelyn Nakano, Islami's sister, wrote.

Among those expressing grief was the Danbury Hat Tricks, the city's minor league hockey team, which wrote online that it was "heartbroken" by the deaths of Islami and Whiteside, who were described as frequent attendees and "cherished members of our hockey family."

And elected officials ranging from Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim to state Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan, whose district includes portions of Danbury, took to social media to share their sympathies.

“I want to share my condolences to the family and friends of both Officer Cooper Whiteside and Brittany Islami," Bridgeport City Council President Jeanette Herron said in a statement. "This was such a terrible incident that no one could possibly prepare for."

July 16, 2026|Updated July 16, 2026 2:57 p.m.