Porepunkah shooting live: loud bangs heard near property where suspected gunman was living as specialised paramedics enter roadblocks

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Here’s what we learned: Wednesday, 27 August

We’ll wind down our live coverage of unfolding events in Porepunkah shortly.

• Suspected gunman Dezi Freeman remains on the run in a semi-rural part of Victoria’s north east.

• Freeman, the man suspected of shooting and killing two police officers and injuring a third at a rural Victorian property, has previously called police “terrorist thugs” and has a history of association with pseudolaw and “sovereign citizen” ideas.

• The Victorian police commissioner said police believe Freeman is thought to understand “bushcraft well”, presenting a challenge for those searching for him. He said the best experts in the country are doing “everything” they could to find Freeman.

• The slain officers were named as Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart.

• At the scene in Porepunkah, at least three loud bangs, which sounded like shots, were heard this afternoon near the property where Freeman was living.

• A roadblock remains in place around the area where Freeman was living. A convoy of police vehicles has now left the area.

• Jacinta Allan honoured the slain officers and said every effort was being put into the manhunt for the suspect.

• Porepunkah residents are advised to stay indoors and stay vigilant while the operation continues.

• One local described the small town as an “idyllic place to live. It’s a really nice place to live. It’s not some conspiracy theorist town.” Another said she suspected Freeman “knows how to look after himself” out in the bush.

• From Facebook groups to shootouts with police, my colleague Ariel Bogle took a look inside the sprawling ecosystem of ‘sovereign citizens’.

• Other tributes have flowed for the officers who lost their lives, including from Victoria’s opposition leader, Brad Battin, and the federal member for Indi, Helen Haines.

• Finally, here’s our wrap of the events so far.

We will be back with more updates tomorrow. Thanks, as ever, for joining us.

Roadblock remains in place as police vehicles leave cordon

A large number of police cars have just left the roadblock area where suspected gunman Dezi Freeman was living.

The convoy included two BearCats, a set of armoured rescue vehicles.

It appears local cars, including a tractor, have been allowed to enter the area.

The roadblock remains in place. Victoria police have said there will be no extra information this evening.

An armoured police vehicle seen leaving the property where the shooting suspect lived. Photograph: William West/AFP/Getty Images

Premier: ‘my advice is Victoria police’s advice’

Circling back to Jacinta Allan’s press conference this evening, residents in Porepunkah have again been urged to follow the advice of the police.

The Victorian premier said:

My advice is Victoria police’s advice. I can appreciate being told to stay indoors, to be alert to your local surrounds, to provide information if you suspect anything suspicious in your local community. I absolutely accept that that is really challenging and can be distressing.

She said given the “stress of the situation and the response” the state government would be looking at “what further support we can provide, because there is no doubt that there will be distress now in the community, and that distress will carry on”.

Victoria’s opposition leader honours police officers ‘tragically killed in the line of duty’

Victoria’s opposition leader, Brad Battin, has released a statement after police identified yesterday’s fallen officers as detective Neal Thompson and senior constable Vadim De Waart:

We now know the identities of the two police officers who laid down their lives yesterday in Porepunkah. We honour Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, tragically killed in the line of duty.

Both dedicated their lives to service – Neal with decades of good work, and Vadim with optimism and pride. We mourn their loss and pay our respects to their families, friends, and colleagues.

Indi MP remembers slain officers ‘as people … beyond the uniform’

Dr Helen Haines, the federal member for Indi, has paid tribute to the two police officers who lost their lives in Porepunkah yesterday.

“We mourn for Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, who so tragically lost their lives in the line of duty at Porepunkah yesterday,” she said in a statement.

The hearts of the families of Detective Leading Constable Thompson and Senior Constable De Waart will be forever broken. Their lives have been shattered, and they remain foremost in our thoughts as they face this tragedy and the unimaginable circumstances of their loss.

As tributes flow for these officers, we also remember Neal and Vadim as people – with family, friends, interests and passions beyond the uniform. They deserved the chance to keep living those lives, and it is with deep sadness that we honour their lives and their service.

We continue to pray for the recovery and healing of the officer who was injured in the line of duty, and for others at the scene whose mental trauma cannot be underestimated or ignored.

Porepunkah thrown into the ‘the most awful of spotlights possible’

Jacinta Allan says Tuesday’s Porepunkah shooting struck at “the core” of the Victoria police and has thrown the local community into the “most awful of spotlights”.

“What happened yesterday was a tragedy, a deep tragedy. It’s gone to the core of Victoria police. It’s hurt so many families,” the Victorian premier told reporters a short time ago.

She said the community, too, was “feeling the weight” of the ongoing events.

Let’s remember the community of Porepunkah. It’s a beautiful community. It’s a tight-knit community, and they’ve also feeling the weight of what is happening in their beautiful country town.

It is still very, very early in terms of the operational response to this awful incident … there is no doubt that this is a community that is feeling the enormity of how their beautiful country town … that peaceful, wonderful country lifestyle, was not just shattered, but was put into the most awful of spotlights possible.

Jacinta Allan says a ‘huge effort’ is being put into the manhunt for suspect Dezi Freeman. Photograph: Benita Kolovos/The Guardian

Porepunkah primary school will open tomorrow

Porepunkah primary school will be open tomorrow, Victoria’s deputy premier and minister for education, Ben Carroll, says.

Speaking with reporters just now, he said the school had completed a lockdown drill “only a few weeks ago”.

He said the way the school had responded yesterday was “textbook”, keeping classes operating during lockdown, ensuring students were escorted for toilet breaks and providing occupational health and therapy in classrooms.

He said:

I couldn’t be more proud of Porepunkah, how they responded yesterday, and I know how they’ll respond tomorrow when the school reopens. It’s very close knit, only 100 students, 12 teachers, and a lot more education support staff from Melbourne that are up there at the moment.

Porepunkah primary school. Photograph: Simon Dallinger/Reuters

Jacinta Allan says Victoria police working with NSW counterparts as ‘every resource' dedicated to finding suspect

Jacinta Allan says “a huge effort” is being put into the manhunt for suspect Dezi Freeman.

“There is a huge effort that is going on right now in the north-east of Victoria,” the Victorian premier has just told reporters. “There is support, also from New South Wales that is being offered and is being worked through with Victoria Police.”

She added that “every resource is being dedicated to finding” this suspect, and that the police would be given all resources necessary to find Freeman.

Every effort is being put to finding this individual to bring justice to the families of the two police officers who have been killed, and we support Victoria police in putting every effort behind this task.

A Victoria police helicopter circles as the search intensifies for a fugitive suspected of shooting dead two police officers in Porepunkah. Photograph: William West/AFP/Getty Images

Jacinta Allan pays respects to ‘Neil and Vadim’ who ‘did not get the opportunity to come home’

The Victorian premier has paid her respects to the two police officers who were shot dead in Porepunkah yesterday.

Speaking at a press conference just now, Allan said the two police officers “put on their uniforms yesterday morning; like every man and woman in Victoria police, they wear that uniform with pride, and they go to work every single day with the purpose of keeping our communities safe”.

She continued:

Yesterday, Neil and Vadim did not get the opportunity to come home at the end of the day to take that uniform off, to reflect on the challenges of the day with their family and their loved ones. And it is to those family and loved ones that I convey my deepest sympathy, and also to that wider Victoria police family who are feeling this grief, feeling this hurt, so keenly, yet continue to put on that uniform with pride and courage and go to work to keep our community safe, and particularly to those officers who are involved in the active search that’s going on in the north-east right now.

Specialised paramedics enter roadblock area

Two more mobile intensive care paramedic cars have just entered the roadblock with a fleet of other cars.

These are highly specialised paramedics who can perform advanced medical procedures.

Convoy of trucks seen leaving roadblock to where Freeman was living

Five identical dual-cab pickup trucks have just been seen leaving the roadblock area where gunman Dezi Freeman was living.

Loud bangs which sounded like shots were heard in the area earlier, and a helicopter that was circling over earlier can be heard again in the distance.

We are waiting at the edge of the roadblock for more information, but police have said a press conference is unlikely tonight.

We’ll bring you more as it comes.

Brother of suspected gunman says his ‘prayers’ are with fallen police

The brother of the suspected Porepunkah gunman has posted on social media that “my prayers are with the fallen police”.

James Filby, the younger brother of the suspect Dezi Freeman, who was previously known as Desmond Filby, also changed his Facebook profile photo to a blue ribbon.

“My prayers are with the fallen police and their grieving familes(sic),” he wrote, with a crying eyes emoji.

Filby was contacted for comment.

Residents told to stay vigilant as Porepunkah operation remains ongoing

Police have said the operation in Porepunkah is ongoing, but that more information is unlikely tonight.

A helicopter was circling the property where gunman Dezi Freeman was living before shots were heard.

The roadblock continues, but the sound of the helicopter has stopped.

Freeman is considered armed and dangerous, with residents told to limit their movements and stay vigilant.

We will bring you updates as soon as we have them.

Some council facilities reopen in Alpine region, national park closed

Alpine Shire council facilities in Porepunkah and Bright will remain closed, but have reopened in some areas, the council has confirmed.

Posting to social media, it said facilities, including libraries and visitor information centres, had reopened in the townships of Myrtleford and Mount Beauty.

Transfer stations in both townships will reopen tomorrow. Facilities in Bright and Porepunkah will remain closed while the current situation continues. We appreciate your understanding and will keep you informed of any further changes. Thank you for your continued patience and support.

Meanwhile, Mount Buffalo national park is closed until further notice as the search for the suspected gunman continues.

In a statement, Parks Victoria said:

Mount Buffalo National Park is closed to the public due to the ongoing Victoria Police incident at Porepunkah. The park will reopen once the incident is resolved. We ask all visitors planning to visit the park to follow Victoria Police advice and avoid the area.

Sixteen Melbourne landmarks to be illuminated in blue in honour of fallen police officers

We are still waiting to hear more from Cait Kelly on the ground in Porepunkah. In the meantime, it has been confirmed that a number of public buildings across Melbourne will be illuminated in blue and flags lowered to half mast to honour detective Neal Thompson and senior constable Vadim De Waart.

They include:

• Royal Exhibition Building

• Immigration Museum

• Melbourne Museum

• Melbourne town hall

• The Arts Centre Melbourne’s spire

• AAMI Park

• Rod Laver Arena

• Kia Arena

• John Cain Arena

• Flinders Street station

• Shrine of Remembrance

• Old Treasury Building

• Parliament House

• MCG

• Federation Square

The Margaret Court arena will also light up in blue after the end of a Camila Cabello concert.

Loud bangs heard in Porepunkah

At the scene in Porepunkah, at least three loud bangs which sounded like shots have been heard near the property where Dezi Freeman was living.

Shortly afterwards, a paramedic’s vehicle and extra police entered the roadblock area.

More to come.

Paramedics enter police blockade to property where suspected gunman lived

A helicopter has been circling for at least an hour near where suspected gunman Dezi Freeman lived in Porepunkah, while the community remains in lockdown.

Paramedics have just been seen entering the police blockade, but no extra information has been given.

An occasional police car has come in and out, with authorities saying he is still on the run. They’re asking everyone in the area not to move around unless essential.

Victoria Police have sent another message to people in the Porepunkah area as the search continues for Freeman, requesting “non-essential travel” to be avoided.

It reads:

Message from Victoria Police. Specialist police continue to search for Dezi Freeman (aka Desmond FILBY). There are multiple police units in the general area of Porepunkah and Victoria Police request you restrict non-essential travel.

Some roadblocks and travel restrictions may be in place. If you see anything suspicious call 000.

A police car blocks Mount Buffalo Road, just west of Porepunkah. Photograph: Stuart Walmsley/The Guardian

If you missed it, here’s what we know about the suspect at large:

Police secretary union pays tribute to ‘unique and irreplaceable’ fallen police officers

The secretary of Victoria’s Police Association, Wayne Gatt, has paid tribute to the two fallen officers after their identities were confirmed this afternoon.

He said Detective Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart were “more than the uniforms they wore and were defined by more than the selfless work they performed in guarding the innocent from the evil every day”.

They were people. Loved by their friends, families and colleagues. Unique and irreplaceable.

Gatt said Thompson, who was known as ‘Thommo’, would leave a void in Wangaratta that “can’t be filled”.

Neal was one-of-a-kind, a laid-back adventurer who loved to share the outdoors with his mates. He was devoted to partner Lisa, the love of his life. He loved his job and he was proud of it. Neal had an almost 40-year career of service and a vivid plan for life after policing. Sadly, that future has been taken, but his history of service and his impact on the community he served will endure.

He said policing wasn’t De Waart’s first career, “but it was one that came naturally for a man who loved working with and helping people”.

Vadim, who grew up in Belgium, spoke three languages and was learning a fourth. He loved travelling and he loved life. He had a lust for learning and was an avid runner. He drew people in with his quirky, inquisitive nature and broad smile. Vadim too, will be missed for who he was, and remembered for the legacy he left both within and outside of policing.