The lives of four Victoria Police officers killed in the line of duty almost two years ago are being honoured in a state memorial service at Docklands Stadium.
Constables Glen Humphris and Joshua Prestney, Senior Constable Kevin King and Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor died on April 22 2020 after a truck ploughed into them on Melbourne's Eastern Freeway.
The crash was the single greatest loss of life in Victoria Police's history and prompted widespread community grief and support for the families of those killed.
Although the crash happened in 2020, the state memorial service was delayed until now because of COVID density restrictions.
Lynette Taylor remembered for her love of life
Lynette Taylor's cousin Heather Bridges was the first family member to speak, reading a poem she had written called Remembering Lynette while pictures were shared of Lynette's life and family.
In that poem Ms Bridges touched on Ms Taylor's childhood in Pascoe Vale and her police graduation where her aunts and parents watched on "with joy and admiration".
Ms Taylor was described as the "glue" who kept her extended family together.
"Lynette was not just niece and cousin, but a precious beloved friend," Ms Bridges said.
Ms Taylor's brother David Taylor thanked those who had been passing by when the tragedy occurred and stopped to help as well as the first responders.
"It was extremely difficult for me to read and hear about the horrendous circumstances of the tragedy and the reference to the dying policewoman, knowing that was my sister," he told the service.
But he said the care shown by first responders and those who helped had comforted his family.
Niece Ada Taylor described her aunt as an adventurer who had backpacked in her youth and built a boat to sail her family in, later in life.
"Lynette Taylor was someone who would do things," she explained.
"She was brave and her moral compass was incredibly strong."
Ada told the story of Ms Taylor's challenges while at the police academy, where she initially struggled against her "nemesis" – a six foot wall she needed to scale to graduate.
Ms Taylor's father built her a wall in their driveway, so she could practise.
"Again and again she would throw herself against this wall," Ada said.
Husband Stuart Schulze told the story of his wife's career in the force, graduating at the age of 30, where she "threw herself into all sorts of activities, including parachuting".
Her husband described Ms Taylor's work undercover where she became a "master of disguises and could blend in anywhere".
Ms Taylor also worked in booze buses and with the traffic unit where she travelled across the state with her job.
Mr Schulze told of two major injuries his wife suffered during her career, including an accident where her feet were run over in the 1990s and in 2018 where she broke both her wrists in a training incident.
The memorial was shown a picture of Ms Taylor in hospital, both her wrists in plaster, while she still smiled.
In a video tribute her colleagues remembered a "nurturing" officer who was "wonderful company" and compassionate.
'Gentle soul' Kevin King honoured by his family
A message was read out during the service from Kevin King's wife Sharon who remembered her husband as her soulmate and a man who loved his family dearly.
She said her husband found purpose in his job with Victoria Police.
"He loved serving the community, helping others is what brought him true richness, true rewards," she wrote.
In that message, Mrs King told the service that:
She thanked the families of the other fallen officers for getting her through some of her darkest days and those who stopped at the site of the accident and made sure "our family members did not die alone".
Mrs King also thanked the officers who worked closely with her husband and had stood by his family.
Her son, James, paid tribute to his father and the officers he worked with.
"Dad often shared with us how difficult and all-encompassing police work can be at times," he said.
"Words cannot express how much admiration we have for all of you, every time you put on your uniform and sacrifice your own safety for the entire community."
'His story was not finished': Parents share their memories of Josh Prestney
Andrew and Belinda Prestney spoke together about the loss of their son Josh.
Andrew Prestney spoke of the difficulty of living without the sounds of his son's "guitars and the music he loved pumping around the house".
He spoke of the memories his family had of sharing "long discussions at the dinner table, walks with the dog and rolling our eyes at what we called Josh's contrariness".
Mr Prestney said his son was "highly intelligent, loving, discerning and honest, with a deep love of family".
Now he said Josh was" jamming with the rock gods in the sky, working out his fantasy footy, leading the tipping and yelling at the umpires for free kicks not paid".
Belinda Prestney paid tribute to Josh's partner Stacey and all those who had supported her family in the past two years.
"The night that we lost Josh, our world fell apart," she said.
"The memory of how that night unfolded is as clear and as painful as if it happened yesterday.
"As hard as it was to lose Josh, harder still has been learning to live without him."
She said her son's story wasn't finished when his life was taken.
Partner of Glen Humphris describes how they 'lived in the moment'
Todd Robinson spoke about his partner, Glen Humphris.
He spoke vividly about the night he lost his love.
"As I opened the door to a sea of blue my heart just sunk and the simple word of 'no' was repeated over and over again," he recalled.
He said he told the police officers "no, that is not Glen, he is not one of the four."
Mr Robinson said "from that moment nothing made sense."
He described the grief he had struggled with since.
"The road to recovery after a tragic loss is very long and at times lonely," he said.
He thanked his friends, family and Victoria Police members who had been by his side.
And he told the service of the fun and adventurous relationship he shared with his partner.
He spoke of drives to the countryside and runs on the beach with their dog.
"I am glad Glen and I lived in the moment as this has left me with over 12,000 photos of adventures we had together," he said.
Premier, police force pay respect to fallen officers
Premier Daniel Andrews led the tributes to the fallen officers this afternoon, describing the impact the deaths had on Victoria.
"I doubt any of us will ever forget where we were and what we were doing when news filtered through that four officers, four partners, parents, sons, daughters and siblings had been killed in a terrible incident on the Eastern Freeway," he said.
Mr Andrews paid tribute to the families of police officers, when he spoke of the sacrifices they all make.
"Everyday police families say goodbye to a loved one, sending them off to do the most important of work," he said.
"To fight crime, protect the vulnerable and keep us safe."
Mr Andrews said the work could be dangerous and the waiting tough on families.
"It is essential, it is honourable and it can be tragic."
The Premier told the service of the commitment he made to the families of the four officers, on behalf of the entire state.
"In the days that followed the tragedy I spoke to the families of each of the fallen officers families, it was important to listen and to make sure they understand that we honour their service, we grieve their loss, and we commit to never forget them," he said.
Victoria's Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said the four were part of a "proud and close family" of police officers across the state, who unite to protect their communities.
"It says a lot about Lynette, Kevin, Josh and Glen that they chose policing as a career — because service means something," he said
"Policing means something."
Chief Commissioner Patton said the tragedy had been deeply felt in the 653 days since the four officers were killed.
He said it was stressful for many officers that this tragedy occurred during the most routine of police work, with many police prompted to think about their own sliding doors moments.
But Chief Commissioner Patton said the support from the broader Victorian community had been vital.
"People wanted to recognise them in whatever way they could."
Chief Commissioner Patton praised the families of the four officers for showing "courage, dignity, strength and resilience in the face of what is only a heartbreaking experience".
Addressing the families directly, he said he couldn't begin to express "how sorry I am that they never came home from their shift that night".
