Hundreds of police officers set off from Melbourne on Friday for an 850‑kilometre remembrance ride to the National Police Memorial in Canberra while a manhunt continues in north‑east Victoria for the fugitive accused of killing two officers.
About 400 riders began the Wall to Wall Ride for Remembrance after a special service to honour Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart‑Hottart, who were killed on Aug. 26 in Porepunkah, and Tasmania Police Constable Keith Smith, who died in June. The annual event brings serving and retired officers together from around the country; organisers said about 2,000 members are expected to attend the memorial in the capital.
Acting Deputy Commissioner Russell Barrett said the ride held particular significance for Victoria Police, which remains "reeling" from the Porepunkah killings. "It will be a moment of reflection, as it always is, but particularly for Victoria," he told reporters on Friday.
Organisers said riders will travel via Sale, Lakes Entrance and Merimbula on the route to Canberra. The Wall to Wall event has raised about A$2 million for policing families since its inception in 2009, a Victoria Police inspector on the organising committee said, adding that the ride sends a message that fallen officers are not forgotten.
Inspector Georgie Swinton said the response from serving and retired officers to honour Thompson and de Waart‑Hottart had been "extraordinary" given the grief across the police family. "Together we honour Neal, we honour Vadim and we honour all police killed in the line of duty or through other causes," she said.
Police said about 400 officers remain involved in searches for 34‑year‑old Dezi Freeman, who investigators believe fled into nearby bushland after the Porepunkah ambush and has been on the run for about two weeks. Authorities have offered a A$1 million reward for information leading to his arrest.
Investigators have not publicly altered their theory that Freeman remains in the region, and have continued ground and aerial searches. Victoria Police declined to comment on operational details of the hunt on Friday, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.
The remembrance ride is an annual show of solidarity among Australian police forces and a fundraising event for families of officers killed or injured in the line of duty. This year’s service and ride take place against a backdrop of heightened public attention and expanded search efforts in Victoria as police pursue leads related to the Porepunkah killings.