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A search for a fugitive who allegedly ambushed and executed two police officers in “cold blood” has entered a third day, as Victoria grieves for the fallen.
Monuments across the state lit up in blue in tribute to Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, 35, who 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 as police pursue the gunman.
Despite that, grieving community members have come out to decorate the foyer of nearby Wangaratta police station with colourful bouquets of flowers in memory of the fallen policemen.
The local primary school will re-open its doors on Thursday after it went into lockdown following the shooting.
The weather in the alpine region continued to deteriorate, as hundreds of police continued to scour the area by land and air.
Officers on Wednesday returned to the rural property, about 300km northeast of Melbourne, where two of their own were allegedly executed in cold blood, where onlookers described hearing loud bangs similar to gunshots.
Premier Jacinta Allan expressed her deepest sympathies to the family, friends and colleagues of the two officers and announced prominent Melbourne buildings would be lit up in blue.
“It’s a very physical way that we can say to the men and women of Victoria Police, we stand with you, we support you, we care for you, we love you, particularly in this time of grief,” she said.
“We remain committed to offering all the essential support needed for the efforts of Victoria Police as they handle this person responsible for such a heinous and dreadful crime.”
The rural Victorian town of Porepunkah is situated approximately 300km north-east of Melbourne. Source: SBS News
Freeman was last seen wearing dark green tracksuit pants, a dark green rain jacket, brown Blundstone boots and reading glasses, police said.
