Hunt for police killer Dezi Freeman scaled back as fallen officers remembered

The crowd at the top of the sunny hill had fallen silent before Sergeant Lisa Thompson, arm wrapped around her young son, made her way through the sea of blue.

The boy’s mother wiped away tears as he placed a floral wreath on the ground in honour of his stepfather Neal Thompson, 59, and his colleague, Vadim de Waart-Hottart, 35, who were gunned down in the line of duty on a remote property in Porepunkah last month.

Every year, National Police Remembrance Day marks one of the most sombre and significant days in the policing calendar as a way to pay tribute to those killed on the job.

On Monday morning, dozens of uniformed officers marched in their honour.

But this year, the ongoing manhunt for alleged double police murderer Dezi Freeman, who opened fire on the two officers while executing a warrant on August 26, hangs heavy in the air.

Freeman remains on the run after fleeing into bushland at the foot of Mount Buffalo. He has not been sighted since.

At service in King’s Domain, Chief Commissioner Mike Bush paid homage to the 178 officers who have died at work in the organisation’s history.

“This includes the recent devastating loss of Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart, who were shot and killed in Porepunkah,” he said.

“They are deeply missed by us all.”

Bush said no one would forget the events in Porepunkah where “two of our very brave, courageous officers had their lives taken”.

“Those tragic losses remind us of the uncertainty, and, should I say, the inherent dangers that policing brings with it,” Bush said during the memorial.

“To our friends and colleagues and the police who have left us, farewell. We honour you, and we will always remember you.”

As the crowd started to drift away from the memorial, Bush told reporters the number of police hunting for Freeman had been significantly scaled back.

Bush said about 40 square kilometres have been searched since the incident, including dense bushland, in the hunt for Freeman. Those still on the scene paused at the forward command post in the village of Ovens to mark the remembrance day.

“At the height we had nearly 500 officers up there conducting the search, investigating and providing reassurance to the community,” Bush said. “At the moment, we have in excess of 200 officers there.”

He said the police and wider community were still “hurting” over the two murders.

Bush said police officers from across Australia, as well as New Zealand, continued to offer their support as one of Australia’s largest manhunts entered its fifth week.

Police have offered a record $1 million reward for any information leading to Freeman’s capture and have repeatedly said they could not rule out the possibility the alleged killer was alive and being harboured or assisted by members of the public.

Bush said about 1400 pieces of information had been given to police by members of the public to date.

“None of them have led to any positive leads, but we explore them all,” Bush said.

He vowed police would not give up until they found Freeman.

With AAP

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