The siblings of Detective Constable Neal Thompson are raising concerns about the lack of special tactical officers present in Porepunkah on the tragic day of his death. Dianne Thompson and Lois Kirk, his sisters, have expressed their frustration over being seemingly kept out of the loop during the investigation process.

While they anticipated the grief that would follow their brother’s untimely passing, the sisters said they “did not expect to feel invisible” in the aftermath. Despite delivering eulogies at Neal’s police funeral, they felt marginalized and uninformed regarding the investigation’s progress.

“From the moment we were informed of Neal’s death by a phone call, instead of in-person, it felt as though the magnitude of the loss … had not been understood,” they conveyed in a heartfelt letter addressed to Chief Commissioner Mike Bush.

In response, Victoria Police acknowledged receiving the sisters’ concerns and indicated that actions were taken after Chief Commissioner Bush was made aware of the letter. The force recognized the issues highlighted by the family and assured them of their attention to these matters.

“From the moment we were informed of Neal’s death by a phone call, instead of in-person, it felt as though the magnitude of the loss … had not been understood,” they wrote in a letter to Chief Commissioner Mike Bush.

Victoria Police acknowledged issues were raised by the pair and said they responded once Bush received the letter.

“We have been in contact with the families since the incident occurred and have taken every step to ensure they are kept up to date and that support services are in place for them,” Victoria Police said in a statement.

“The Chief Commissioner has spoken directly a number of times to Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson’s partner, the parents of Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart, and the officer seriously injured during the incident on 26 August, 2025.

“However, we also acknowledge some issues raised by the sisters of Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and police have met with them directly as a result of a letter they sent to the Chief Commissioner.”

The sisters say they’ll sue Victoria Police over their brother’s death.

They claim the arrest warrant for Freeman should have been executed by a specialist squad.

Victoria Police has appointed the sisters their own police liaison officers from the homicide squad and the local area to update them on the investigation.

The force is in discussions with the pair about any ongoing concerns, but refused to provide further details.

“Victoria Police acknowledges that the past seven months have been an incredibly difficult time following in the incident in Porepunkah, particularly the families of the two police officers killed,” Victoria Police said.

“While every effort is made to provide timely updates to all families involved, we are always conscious of the need to manage ongoing investigations.” 

Former homicide detective Charlie Bezzina provided said policing could be unpredictable.

“We just don’t have crystal balls, you can go into a situation quite comfortably about saying how safe it is, and then the whole topsy-turvy happens,” he said.

Former colleagues say Thompson had dealt with Freeman before the shooting, and considered him relatively low-risk.

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