Dezi Freeman, the man wanted for the alleged murder of two police officers in Porepunkah, has been fatally shot by police in rural Victoria, ending a seven-month manhunt. Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush confirmed the shooting occurred shortly after 8:30am on Monday following an hours-long standoff at a property in Thologolong, in the state's north-east.
Bush stated that while formal identification is pending, police believe the deceased is Freeman. He described the shooting as 'justified', noting that Freeman left the building with a blanket-like covering and 'presented' a gun to officers, leaving them no choice but to open fire. 'The deceased was given every opportunity to resolve this peacefully, and did not take that option,' Bush said.
The manhunt began on 26 August last year when Freeman allegedly shot and killed Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart, 35, and injured a third officer during a search warrant execution at a property in Porepunkah, about 210km north-east of Melbourne. Freeman, 56, who had ties to pseudolaw or 'sovereign citizen' ideology, fled into the bush heavily armed.
Bush said the search was the 'most considerable investment in police resources we have ever seen', involving officers from all Australian states, territories, and New Zealand. Police are now investigating whether Freeman received assistance during his time on the run, including from the owners of the Thologolong property.
The families of the slain officers were notified first, with Bush expressing hope that the incident brings closure. 'Everyone wanted this to end peacefully, everyone wanted closure, unfortunately we only have one of those two things,' he added.
