A State Memorial Service to honour the four Victoria Police officers who died in the Eastern Freeway tragedy in 2020 has been held this afternoon at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium.
The service paid tribute to the legacies of Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Senior Constable Kevin King, Constable Josh Prestney and Constable Glen Humphris.
It allowed the officers' friends, family, colleagues and members of the public to gather to honour the officers, with the event having previously been postponed due to COVID-19 public health advice, and was followed by a formal Guard of Honour.
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Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said the event was about celebrating the officers' entire lives, not just their involvement in policing.
"It's been 653 days since we lost four of our colleagues, and not a day goes by when they're not in our thoughts," he said.
Speaking before the memorial this afternoon, Premier Daniel Andrews said the service was important to remember and honour each of the four officers.
"Today is a day to acknowledge their service, their commitment, their bravery and all that they gave to keep Victoria safe," he said.
Mr Andrews said it was also important to acknowledge the work done by every single Victoria Police member and the families supporting them.
Victoria Police Minister Lisa Neville said the service was an opportunity to say a formal goodbye to the four officers, which had been delayed by almost two years due to the pandemic.
She said the four heroes would be remembered forever, and that Victoria Police would always support their families.
Ms Neville gave her deepest condolences to the officers' families, and "the Victoria Police family".
Members of the public are invited to make a donation to support Victoria Police Legacy or the Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation and/or to submit at tribute expressing their condolences on the Victoria Police website.
The four officers were killed in the deadliest incident in Victoria Police's history after a truck ploughed into the officers in the emergency lane of the Eastern Freeway near Kew, killing them on impact on April 22, 2020.
The truck driver responsible for the tragedy, Mohinder Singh, was sentenced to 22 years jail in April after he pleaded guilty to four counts of culpable driving causing death and six other charges in relation to the crash.
The Cranbourne father was high on drugs and had earlier stopped on his route to do a drug deal before he hit the police officers, who had pulled over Porsche driver Richard Pusey in the moments before the crash.
Justice Paul Coghlan described the footage of the horror crash as "chilling" during Singh's sentencing.
"Their deaths are entirely unnecessary and should have been avoided. Their deaths were caused by you."
At Singh's sentence hearing, Sharon Mackenzie, partner of Senior Constable King, said she had lost her "soulmate" she met when they were just teenagers.
"I haven't just lost a partner, I lost a man who is every part of me," Ms Mackenzie said.
"We lost the most dedicated, devoted man.
"He was my soulmate, my best friend, (an) incredibly devoted father and family man."
Andrew Prestney, the father of Constable Josh Prestney, read out a statement outside court following the sentencing.
Mr Prestney said despite justice being served for the officers' deaths, it did not subside their pain.
"Even though justice has now been served in relation to the actual collision, no amount of punishment can replace the loss of our loved ones and the missing place at our tables that will be felt by us for the rest of our lives," he said.
"We would like to thank the people of Victoria, the people of Australia, and those from around the world for their outpouring of love and for embracing us with their hearts.
"We are consoled by the fact that our four will not be forgotten as we continue to carry them in our hearts."
Mr Prestney also thanked those who were first at the scene.
"Even though we do not know them all, we share a history with them now and forever."
A private memorial service was held on the anniversary of their deaths last year.