The family of an officer gunned down by Dezi Freeman will sue Victoria Police, accusing the force of deepening their grief and poor communication.
Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, was one of two officers killed during a raid on Freeman’s bus near Porepunkah, in north-east Victoria, on August 26.
Senior Constable Vadim de Waart‑Hottart was also fatally shot, while a third officer was seriously injured.
For the first time since the shooting, Senior Constable Thompson’s sisters, Dianne Thompson and Lois Kirk, have spoken publicly, alleging failures by police leadership during the weeks and months following their brother’s death.
Victoria Police released a statement, saying every effort had been made to ‘provide timely updates to all families involved’ and that they had spoken directly with Senior Constable Thompson’s partner on multiple occasions.
Dianne and Lois say their confidence in Victoria Police began to unravel almost immediately, after learning of Senior Constable Thompson’s death via phone call rather than in person, and claim communication only worsened as time went on.
‘We have been under extreme emotional stress and trauma since our big brother Neal was shot and killed on August 26,’ Dianne Thompson told the Herald Sun.
‘The grief alone is bad enough, but to be completely ignored by Victoria Police from the day Neal died to now is beyond comprehension.’
Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, was one of two officers killed during a raid on Freeman’s bus near Porepunkah, in north-east Victoria, on August 26
Freeman (pictured) was shot dead by police on March 30 after being on the run for 216 days
The sisters allege they were not kept updated on key developments, were not offered the chance to travel to Porepunkah in the days after the shooting, and felt marginalised during their brother’s funeral and later memorial events.
They said they learned Freeman had been shot dead last week, after being on the run for 216 days, not from police, but through their lawyer after missed calls.
In a detailed letter sent to Chief Commissioner Mike Bush in December, the sisters outlined what they described as ongoing neglect, including being unaware of memorial services and being unable to collect their brother’s ashes.
‘His loss has left a permanent fracture in our family, in our daily lives, and in the fabric of who we are,’ they wrote.
‘We expected grief, we expected heartbreak, but we did not expect to feel invisible.’
They described being seated away from close family members at Senior Constable Thompson’s funeral and said they were forced to introduce themselves to senior political figures in attendance.
‘We had to approach the Prime Minister and the Premier ourselves, as they did not know who we were,’ Dianne said.
The sisters, represented by police accountability lawyer Jeremy King, will take part in a forthcoming coronial inquest into the deaths of the two officers.
Lois Kirk (pictured) and Diane Thompson (behind) are set to sue the Victoria Police
Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson (pictured) was shot dead by Freeman
At the time of the fatal raid, Freeman was living in a bus and was the subject of a warrant over alleged historical sex offences, despite being banned from owning firearms.
Thompson was shot as he climbed through a window, before Freeman turned his weapon on Senior Constable de Waart‑Hottart.
Victoria Police told Daily Mail the past seven months had been ‘an incredibly difficult time’ following the incident at Porepunkah, particularly for the families of the two officers who were killed.
Police said they had been in contact with the families since the incident and had taken steps to keep them informed while ensuring support services were in place.
The statement said the Chief Commissioner had spoken directly on multiple occasions with Senior Constable Thompson’s partner, the parents of Senior Constable de Waart‑Hottart, and the officer seriously injured during the August 26 incident.
Victoria Police also acknowledged concerns raised by Senior Constable Thompson’s sisters and confirmed officers had met with them following correspondence sent to the Chief Commissioner.
Police said liaison officers from the Homicide Squad and the local area had been appointed to provide updates on the investigation and support around welfare and memorial events.
‘While every effort is made to provide timely updates to all families involved, we are always conscious of the need to manage ongoing investigations,’ the statement said.
Victoria Police said discussions with the sisters were continuing, but it would not be appropriate to provide further details.
