Touching escort home for police officer killed on freeway
High on the hill, the bell tower at Victoria Police Academy has been bathed in blue light to remember them: the "Fallen Four''.
They are the four who died on the Eastern Freeway protecting the community they served: Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Senior Constable Kevin King, Constable Glen Humphris and Constable Josh Prestney.
Yesterday, Leading Senior Constable Taylor was laid to rest.
Today, Constable Humphris was the first to be honoured by family, friends and colleagues - not only for the uniform he wore, but for the man he was beneath it.
The funeral was small, limited to family, as current restrictions require.
A livestream broadcast the funeral to wider family, friends and colleagues.
All four fallen members will be honoured again in this very place with full police honours once the coronavirus restrictions are lifted.
As mourners gathered inside the gates to the Glen Waverley academy, flowers paved the way to the chapel.
Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton was among those at the academy to honour Constable Humphris.
The piper played Amazing Grace as his casket was carried from the chapel.
Mr Ashton and Senior Chaplain Jim Jung then led the hearse to the main gates and saluted Constable Humphris as a police helicopter flew overhead to mark his passing.
In an hour, Senior Constable King will be farewelled.
Across the state their colleagues will observe a minute's silence.
In other parts of Melbourne, guards of honour were formed in the pouring rain outside police stations as three police motorcycles led the procession.
Wreaths were laid at Airlie College in South Yarra as Shrine guards paid their respects at the Police Memorial in the Domain Gardens.
For Constable Humphris, who had moved to Victoria to become a police officer, he was still in the earliest stages of the adventure of a lifetime.
After his funeral, his body will be taken to the New South Wales border by police escort.
With him will be his partner, Todd, and Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent.
From Albury, NSW police will escort his body to his hometown of Newcastle.
Senior Constable King, regarded by his crew as one of the best, will be farewelled at 1pm.
Originally published as Touching escort home for Eastern Freeway officer
