Dangerous terrain and bad weather is impeding the search for a fugitive accused of killing two police officers as tributes are paid to the men.
Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, 35, were shot dead while attempting to serve a search warrant at a Porepunkah property.
The accused gunman Dezi Freeman – also known as Desmond Filby – fled into bushland, plunging the town of about 1000 residents in Victoria’s high country into lockdown on Tuesday.
Two armoured BearCat vehicles left the now-vacant property, which lies at the foot of Mount Buffalo, on Thursday afternoon alongside several police cars, after hours of searching.
There have been no confirmed sightings of Freeman since he fled into surrounding bushland while heavily armed.
Thunderstorms are beginning to sweep through the region, bringing heavier rain and thick cloud cover to the search area.
“It’s really difficult terrain, it’s complex terrain and it’s not something that we, even with our specialist resources, can move through quickly,” Superintendent Brett Kahan said.
Deputy Commissioner Regional Operations Russell Barrett described the search as protracted and revealed police were searching “a number of properties” as part of their inquiries.
“What I would say to the community and say to anyone who may be considering harbouring or supporting him, they need to reconsider,” he told reporters in Wangaratta.
“They’re committing a criminal offence, and we will prosecute them.”
Police urged Freeman to give himself up.
“Ring triple zero, and we will support a surrender plan, that option is absolutely open to him,” Supt Kahan said.
Freeman, who has bush survival experience, was last seen wearing dark green tracksuit pants, a dark green rain jacket, brown Blundstone boots and reading glasses, police said.
He is believed to be a sovereign citizen, an ideology that questions government authority and whose followers believe the rule of law doesn’t apply to them, and who disassociate from society.
The 56-year-old was known to police and a risk assessment was completed before 10 officers, including members of the sexual offences and child investigation team, attempted to serve a search warrant at the property.
His associates have warned he is capable of surviving for long periods in bushland.
Det Snr Const Thompson was only weeks away from retirement when he was killed, while Snr Const De Waart had a “great career in front of him” with his professionalism the talk of his colleagues, Mr Barrett said.
Chief Commissioner Mike Bush met with Det Snr Const Thompson’s partner Lisa, who is also a serving officer, on Thursday along with Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and Police Minister Anthony Carbines.
Porepunkah residents were living “under the long and heavy shadow of unthinkable tragedy”, the premier said.
“Every part of their daily life is touched by fear, it is touched by uncertainty, and for so many it’s touched by grief,” she told parliament on Thursday.
Det Snr Const Thompson’s local cafe paid tribute to him on social media, describing him as a larger-than-life presence with a heart of gold.
Porepunkah Primary School reopened to students on Thursday after it went into lockdown following the shooting, although attendance was not mandatory.
Police and support staff were on site throughout the day.
Jean-Francois Rupp expressed mixed emotions when he dropped his six-year-old child at school.
“It’s all a bit weird and up in the air, but I suppose life’s got to continue,” he said.
“He just knows there’s a bad man out in the woods, so we’re going to keep the story to that for now.”
Police have issued advice recommending motorists heading for Bright, Falls Creek and Mount Hotham avoid travelling through Porepunkah.
They should instead travel through Running Creek and Mount Beauty, police advised.
“If you have an option not to go to the snow this weekend, take that option,” Supt Kahan said.
The bodies of the fallen officers were given a guard of honour by flashing-light police cars as they were taken to Melbourne’s Coroners Court on Wednesday night.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese led a moment of silence for the pair in federal parliament on Thursday.
“Every time they put on their uniform, police officers put themselves on the line,” he said.
“And they do it for us.”
The officers were heroes and their deaths were heartbreaking for all Australians, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said.
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