The manhunt for Dezi Freeman entered a 14th day on Monday as hundreds of officers and senior officials attended a Melbourne funeral for Detective Neal Thompson, one of two Victoria police officers shot dead while executing a warrant at Freeman's rural property on Aug. 26.
Detective Thompson, 59, was farewelled at the Victoria Police Academy Chapel in Glen Waverley as the search for Freeman, 56, continued across the Victorian High Country. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and Victoria Police Commissioner Mike Bush were among those in attendance. Thompson's coffin was draped in an Australian flag and topped with a Victoria Police cap; the service concluded with six pallbearers carrying the coffin to a white hearse and a guard of honour of hundreds of officers lining the street.
Family members and colleagues paid tribute to Thompson at the chapel. His partner, Sergeant Lisa Thompson, spoke of meeting him while on duty in 2016 and described a private life built around family, farming and friends. "We worked one shift together and it changed the course of my life," she told mourners, saying their last weekend together had been "our best." Thompson's younger sister, Lois, recalled a brother who believed himself "invincible" and described him as the family's protector and adventurer.
The funerals for Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart, 35, who was also killed at the same scene, have highlighted the scale of the loss to Victoria Police. De Waart-Hottart was farewelled at the same chapel last week. Both officers were among ten police personnel who attended the Porepunkah property on Aug. 26 to serve a search warrant related to historical sexual-assault allegations involving a minor, police have said.
Police say Freeman opened fire during the operation, killing Thompson and de Waart-Hottart and wounding a third officer before fleeing into nearby bushland. The suspect has not been sighted since. Authorities have conducted extensive searches of the surrounding terrain including bushland, caves and former mine shafts, and on Thursday executed a search warrant at Freeman's property where computers, cameras and other items were seized.
The state has offered a A$1 million reward for information leading to Freeman's arrest. Police have said they initially believed Freeman could have been receiving help from people in the local community, but later stated there was no specific evidence that he was being sheltered by an identified individual. Investigators continue to ask anyone with information to come forward.
Freeman's son, Koah, told Australian media outlets he believed his father had the bushcraft skills to survive in harsh rural conditions but said his father was "probably dead." The son gave the remark in the first public comment by a family member since the shootings.
The priest at the parish where Freeman and his family worshipped said Freeman had attended Mass with his wife and children and appeared "agitated" a few days before the shootings. Father Tony Shallue told reporters he noticed a change in Freeman's demeanour in the days after Pope Francis died in April and again two days before the alleged ambush. The priest said the family had been active in the church community.
Authorities have provided few operational updates in recent days, citing the sensitivity of an active manhunt. Police confirmed on Monday that forensic and tactical teams continue to comb cleared areas and that investigations at Freeman's property remain under way. A third officer wounded on Aug. 26 has been treated and stabilised, according to police statements issued earlier in the incident's timeline.
Detective Thompson had been due to retire from Victoria Police on the Friday following the shooting. The funeral service on Monday included full police honours and will be followed by a private cremation. Mourners were asked to donate to Police Legacy in lieu of flowers.
The shootings and subsequent search have prompted expressions of condolence from political and community leaders and underscored concerns about officer safety during warrants. Victoria Police and federal and local authorities said they will continue to work together on investigative and search efforts until Freeman is located and taken into custody.
The investigation into the Aug. 26 killings remains ongoing. Police asked anyone with information, or who observed suspicious movements in the Porepunkah area around the time of the incident, to contact authorities. Authorities reiterated that public safety remains the priority as the search proceeds.