Heavily armed officers surrounded a home in Myrtleford, where officers detained and cuffed a hooded man.
His property was raided for a firearm prohibition order search.
“All the army people were on the road, and they said we couldn’t come down the street,” witnesses said.
The hunt for accused double murder Dezi Freeman is now in it’s 26th day with officers still working to bring justice for two of their own.
Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart were caught in an ambush while delivering a warrant in Victoria’s highlands.
Today, their colleagues and friends honoured them at Albert Park Lake in a 71 kilometre relay, raising money for the fallen officers’ families.
“We are one big blue family,” Kim Bramwell of Victoria Police said.
“And we all do come together in times like this.”
Victoria Police’s Sarah Boyle worked with De Waart-Hottart.
“So it’s very very near and dear to my heart as well and our units heart as well,” Boyle said.
The Run to Remember event was put together by Senior Constable Alex Prestney, who has personally experienced the heartache of losing a family member in the line of duty—his brother was a victim of the Eastern Freeway incident.
“We felt compelled to take some action because we know firsthand the emotions involved and the community’s support. This event is our way of giving back,” he explained.
As the officers ran around Albert Park, their minds were also on their colleagues searching in the state’s north.
Despite police receiving hundreds of tips, there still haven’t been any confirmed sightings of the fugitive.
“We feel for the members who are up there working tirelessly to try and get this to a resolution,” Prestney said.
“We fully support and have our love for everyone that’s involved in everything so far.”
