Victorian police Porsche crash tragedy: All they ever wanted was to protect and help us all

The constables who died in the horrific tragedy in Victoria were all dedicated police officers who put others before themselves.

The four police officers killed in the Melbourne crash.

Constable Joshua Prestney, 28, was only four months out of the police academy. His brother, First Constable Alex Prestney, presented him with his badge when he graduated in December 2019.

The young man’s police service and dedication to keeping the community safe was very much a family affair. This bond and his youth were just some of the threads of unimaginable grief that have emerged since four police officers died in a nightmare on Wednesday evening.

Constable Prestney is survived by his parents, Andrew and Belinda, and his older brother Alex. His grandmother, Eliza Anderson, remembered him as a “beautiful” and “talented” young man.

He had just joined Boroondara police station and trained for triathlons in his spare time, having completed a bachelor in creative industries prior to joining Victoria Police in May 2019.

Scott Morrison said the four deaths were a tragic reminder of the daily dangers faced by police officers and extended his condolences to the victims’ families.

“We stand with you as much as we possibly can, and we hope that provides at least some comfort to you,” the Prime Minister said.

Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor. Picture: Supplied

Constable Joshua Prestney. Picture: Supplied

Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor instilled a sense of adventure in her children Nathan and Alexander while serving a distinguished 31-year career.

She had worked in the drug and alcohol section of the road policing unit since 2011 and received recognition from the Chief Commissioner for her work in the Traffic Camera Office as well as being the recipient of a National Police Service Medal.

“Lynette had a reputation for going in to bat for others and for challenging decisions that she ­believed were unfair,” Victoria Police said.

“She had a great sense of ­humour and her colleagues will fondly remember seeing her ­smiling face every day.”

Constable Taylor was the primary carer for her sister, and she and her husband were building a dream retirement home on the Bass Coast where they planned to spend their golden years fishing.

Across Victoria on Thursday, mourners and supporters put blue ribbons, balloons and mess­ages out the front of their homes, while on Facebook they changed their profile pictures in a sign of grief.

Constable Glen Humphris. Picture: Supplied.

Leading Senior Constable Kevin King. Picture: Supplied

Much of the CBD was bathed in blue light on Thursday night in a glowing tribute from the city they had sworn to protect.

Dozens of Victoria Police members observed one minute’s silence on Thursday morning at the police academy to pay their respects to the fallen officers.

The third officer lost in the tragedy was Leading Senior Constable Kevin King, who was remembered for being an all-round good bloke who loved his footy.

He served with Victoria Police for six years and joined Nuna­wading highway patrol in April 2019, where he was passionate about road policing.

A senior officer described him as “a terrific bloke” who always “just wanted to laugh”.

“It’s just devastating to lose a bloke like that,” he said.

Constable King leaves behind his wife, Sharron McKenzie, as well as their three children, ­William, James and Henry.

The fourth officer who died was Constable Glen Humphris, who graduated from the police academy only last month after first excelling in careers as a ­carpenter, a personal trainer, a sports scientist and an exercise physiologist.

He met his partner of four years, Todd, in the city of Newcastle, north of Sydney, and together they moved to Melbourne where they enjoyed the city’s famou­s bar and food lifestyle culture.

Constable Humphris excelled at the police academy, where he only narrowly missed out on the Highest Academic Achiever Award for his squad.

After graduating in March 2020, he was moved to the drug and alcohol section of the road policing unit.

His squad mates said that he “genuinely wanted to help people, had a great sense of community and showed genuine empathy for everyone — victims and ­offenders alike”.