Police have warned anyone caught harbouring a fugitive accused of shooting dead two officers will face serious consequences as the “protracted search” continues.
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 on Tuesday.
Another wounded officer is expected to recover after undergoing surgery.
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.
The search for the 56-year-old suspect has entered its third day.
Deputy Commissioner Regional Operations Russell Barrett described it 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 on Thursday afternoon.
“They’re committing a criminal offence, and we will prosecute them.”
The property he was living on is now vacant.
There have been no confirmed sightings of Freeman since he fled into bushland, Mr Barrett said.
Superintendent Brett Kahan said police had no evidence Freeman had access to communications but had a message if he was watching.
“Ring triple zero, and we will support a surrender plan, that option is absolutely open to him,” he 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.
Feathertop Winery continues to be the staging area for police, with nearly a dozen police cars gathering along the road outside the property on Thursday afternoon.
Overhead, a police helicopter has returned, circling the area.
A roadblock has been set up and has since been pushed back by one kilometre.
Low-lying fog had lifted in the area by the early afternoon before the inclement weather returned.
Supt Kahan said the terrain was dangerous, with police treading carefully.
“It’s not something that we, even with our specialist resources, can move through quickly,” he said.
Porepunkah Primary School reopened to students on Thursday after it went into lockdown following the shooting.
The decision was made on the advice of Victoria Police, the education department said.
The school’s principal Jill Gillies said attendance on Thursday was voluntary.
“It’s a parent choice,” she said.
Some students were kept home, with their classmates expected to be kept inside for recess and lunch due to the bad weather.
Police and support staff were present on site throughout the day.
Jean-Francois Rupp expressed mixed emotions when 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.
Melbourne’s iconic landmarks were lit up in blue overnight to honour the dead officers.
Flags remained at half-mast at Victorian government buildings on Thursday.
Australian Associated Press is the beating heart of Australian news. AAP is Australia’s only independent national newswire and has been delivering accurate, reliable and fast news content to the media industry, government and corporate sector for 85 years. We keep Australia informed.
