Victoria and NSW police have arrested two men as part of an ongoing investigation into the movements of Dezi Freeman, the man who killed two police officers in Porepunkah in August 2025. The arrests came after searches of seven properties across both states on Tuesday, as police revealed they believe Freeman travelled between Victoria and New South Wales during the seven months he was on the run.
Freeman, 56, died after being shot by police on a remote property in Thologolong, near the Victoria-NSW border, on 30 March 2026. Police said he likely received assistance from multiple people during that time. The arrested men include a 64-year-old from Lucyvale, Victoria, who was interviewed and released pending further investigation, and a 47-year-old from Wombeyan Caves, NSW, who was arrested on unrelated outstanding warrants.
The searches, part of Operation Summit, targeted rural properties in Buckland, Stanley, and Lucyvale in Victoria, as well as Greenwich Park, Tarlo, Wombeyan Caves, and Umina Beach in NSW. Police seized a range of electronic devices and said they were speaking with several individuals at the properties.
Freeman shot and killed Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart, 35, and injured a third officer on 26 August 2025, when police entered a property in Porepunkah to serve a search warrant. Freeman, who had links to pseudolaw or 'sovereign citizen' ideology, fled heavily armed, sparking a high-profile manhunt.
Detective Inspector Anthony Gasparini from Taskforce Summit said the investigation continues even after Freeman's death. 'We are looking to identify and hold to account those people who provided support to harbour a wanted fugitive,' he said. He urged anyone with information about Freeman's movements between August 2025 and March 2026 to contact Crime Stoppers Victoria.
