Family to sue police after hero cop shot by Dezi Freeman
The sisters of one of the officers shot by Dezi Freeman said they planned to sue the police, while Victoria Police defended the support given to the victim’s families.
Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart were killed by Freeman in August while they were part of a team executing a search warrant at the sovereign citizen’s Porepunkah property.
Freeman was on the run before he was shot in a shootout with police in Thologolong last week.
Constable Thompson’s sisters, Dianne Thompson and Lois Kirk, told the Herald Sun on Sunday they planned to sue the police, while their lawyers questioned why specialist tactical units were not used to raid the sovereign citizen’s property.
In a letter sent to Superintendent Mike Bush last year, her sisters also expressed disappointment in their treatment by police, saying they felt ignored.
In a statement, Victoria police said they acknowledged “some of the issues” raised by Constable Neal’s sisters and had appointed liaison officers to support them.
“Victoria Police recognizes that the last seven months following the incident in Porepunkah have been an incredibly difficult time, particularly for the families of the two murdered officers,” a Victoria Police spokesperson said.
“We have been in contact with families since the incident occurred and have taken every step to ensure they are kept up to date and provided with support services.
“The Chief Superintendent spoke directly on a number of occasions to the parents of Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson’s partner, Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart, and the police officer who was seriously injured during the incident on 26 August 2025.
“However, we also accept that there were some issues raised by the sisters of Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and that the police spoke to them directly as a result of a letter they sent to the Chief Superintendent.
“We continue to meet with them and they have appointed police liaison officers from both Homicide Squad and the local area.
“The aim of this is to ensure they are kept up to date on the investigation and also to provide further support around their welfare and events such as commemorations.
“While every effort is made to provide timely information to all families involved, we are always conscious of the need to manage ongoing investigations.”
The sisters raised several issues, including being told over the phone rather than in person that their brother had been killed and feeling ignored at the funeral and memorial service.
“Once again, we recognize this is an extremely difficult time for all families involved and we will continue to speak to them and address their ongoing concerns,” a Victoria Police spokesperson said.
“It would be inappropriate to give details of these discussions.”
