{
  "id": 3106632,
  "title": "Fallen officers honoured ahead of tragic anniversary",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/fallen-officers-honoured-ahead-of-tragic-anniversary",
  "topic": null,
  "section": null,
  "published": "2026-08-24T18:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Discovered",
    "slug": "discovered",
    "url": "https://illawarramercury.com.au/story/9336617/fallen-officers-honoured-ahead-of-tragic-anniversary"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the regional town of Porepunkah, Victoria’s High Country, two police officers made the ultimate sacrifice on August 26, 2025. Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart, 35, were tragically shot dead while executing a warrant for Dezi Freeman’s arrest. The incident occurred at a secluded property, 310km northeast of Melbourne. The shootings sent shockwaves through the region, with the ensuing manhunt lasting seven months until Freeman was finally killed by police on March 30. This manhunt is noted as the largest tactical policing operation in Australian history. As the one-year anniversary of the killings approaches, a permanent monument to the fallen officers is set to be unveiled at Wangaratta Police Station. The service, which will include speeches, takes place on the fateful Tuesday before the anniversary. Both officers had strong ties to the station, with the latter having volunteered after moving from Belgium. The search for Freeman spanned hundreds of officers and specialized resources, leading him to a shipping container in remote northeast Victoria. He was fatally shot after emerging with a black handgun, which was later found to be the police-issued weapon of Sen Const de Waart-Hottart. Twin coronial hearings are currently underway in the Victorian Coroners Court, with inquests potentially scheduled for March 2027. Wangaratta and nearby Bright are bracing for a surge in visitors to pay their respects, with a second memorial planned for Wednesday at the local police station.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}