Mourners gather for funeral of one of two officers killed in Porepunkah

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Mourners have gathered in Melbourne for the funeral of a police officer shot dead in Victoria’s high country 11 days ago. 35-year-old senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart was serving a warrant in the town of Porepunkah when he was shot and killed alongside his colleague Neal Thompson who'll be laid to rest on Monday.

Transcript

00:00A heartbreaking service here at the Victoria Police Academy.

00:06A funeral attended by 3,000 people.

00:09A packed chapel and overflow rooms that included members of the Blue family,

00:14that is members of the police force from across Australia.

00:18Also the Premier Jacinta Allen, the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

00:22and Police Chief Commissioners from Australia, New Zealand

00:26and many other senior members of the Victoria Police Force.

00:31And of course, family.

00:33His family came from Belgium.

00:35That is Vadim Devart Hattar's parents, Carolina and Alain,

00:40and his brother Sasha who gave the eulogy.

00:43He described an older brother who was his protector as well as his friend.

00:47A man who loved Batman because he protected others.

00:50He described someone who was full of adventure

00:53and was always looking out for his next adventure and travelling destination.

00:57When he went six months in Peru and would get lost in Bolivia or Ecuador

01:02or when he travelled the world with a backpack

01:05or when he went on hikes in Australia,

01:08he was always the first up for any adventure.

01:11250 members of the Public Order Response Team were also here.

01:15That was the unit he was stationed with when he took a secondment in Wangaratta

01:20and that is of course where he was in the northeast of Victoria

01:24when he was fatally shot last week.

01:26Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush spoke today at the service.

01:29He described last week's events as a shocking and tragic day.

01:34He awarded Vadim with three medals.

01:36One of those was the Victoria Police Star Medal

01:39and that is a medal specifically for police who've died or been severely injured in the line of duty.

01:45He was also awarded the National Police Service Medal

01:48and the Victoria Police Service Medal.

01:50There was a guard of honour as hundreds of serving officers lined the street

01:54as the funeral procession made its way from the police academy

01:58and he will be cremated at a private service.

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