A year of heavy hearts, fallen officers to be honoured in Bright and Wangaratta

Local police along with the greater Victoria Police community are set to come together next week to mark one year since the tragic deaths in the line of duty of Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart. Memorials are being constructed at both Wangaratta and Bright police stations where the services will take place, anticipated to attract significant crowds locally. On Tuesday 25 August a service will be held at Wangaratta police station from 1pm while the Bright service will be held from 10am on Wednesday 26 August, exactly 365 days after 10 police officers attended a Rayner Track property in Porepunkah to conduct a search warrant. Acting Superintendent Ash Mason said the community was encouraged to mark the occasions with police, however capacity will be limited. “As we mark this solemn occasion, an increase in visitors is expected across the Wangaratta and Bright regions,” he said. “We ask residents and those travelling through the area to allow extra time for their journey and be mindful of changed traffic conditions and road closures. “We thank the community for their ongoing support as we come together to remember Neal and Vadim.” On Tuesday Handley Street in Wangaratta will be closed from 12:30pm until 2:30pm and on Wednesday Park Street in Bright will be closed from 9:30am until 11:30am. The memorial services will mark one year since Det Led Sen Const Thompson and Sen Const de Waart-Hottart with eight other police officers conducted a search warrant in relation to an investigation by the Wangaratta Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team into Desmond Freeman. Det Led Sen Const Thompson was just days from retirement after almost 20 years serving the greater Wangaratta community while Sen Const de Waart-Hottart was on temporary assignment in Bright, beginning a promising career as part of the Public Order Response Team. After lengthy negotiations, Det Led Sen Const Thompson was able to force entry into Freeman’s makeshift bus home after being refused entry and was shot and killed. Sen Const de Waart-Hottart was shot and killed attempting to take cover while a third officer was shot in the lower body among multiple rounds fired at police. Police embarked on one of Australia’s biggest manhunts for the next six months until Freeman was found, shot and killed after aiming a firearm at police at a Thologolong property on 30 March. The coronial inquests into the deaths of the two police officers and Freeman were ongoing while an investigation into the movements of Freeman between 26 August 2025 and 30 March 2026 remains active.