Victoria and New South Wales police have arrested two men as part of an investigation into the movements of Dezi Freeman, the shooter who killed two police officers in Porepunkah in August 2025. The arrests came after searches of seven properties across both states on Tuesday.
Police believe Freeman travelled between Victoria and NSW during the seven months between the shootings and his death on 30 March 2026, when he was shot by police on a remote property in Thologolong, near the border. Detectives suspect he received assistance from multiple individuals during that period.
Warrants were executed at rural properties in Buckland, Stanley, and Lucyvale in Victoria, as well as at homes in Greenwich Park, Tarlo, Wombeyan Caves, and Umina Beach in NSW. A 64-year-old man from Lucyvale was arrested in Wodonga and later released pending further investigation. A 47-year-old man from Wombeyan Caves was arrested on unrelated warrants.
Police seized electronic devices and continue to search the properties. Detective Inspector Anthony Gasparini of Taskforce Summit stated the investigation aims to identify those who harboured Freeman, saying, 'We are looking to hold to account those people who provided support to harbour a wanted fugitive.'
Freeman, a 56-year-old with ties to sovereign citizen ideology, killed Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart, 35, and injured a third officer while police served a search warrant. He fled into bushland, sparking a high-profile manhunt.
