Two men have been arrested in connection with Dezi Freeman's movements after he killed two police officers in Porepunkah, Victoria. Police confirmed on Tuesday that the men, aged 48 and 45, were detained at separate locations in north-east Victoria as part of Operation Summit, the investigation into Freeman's activities following the shootings.
Freeman shot and killed Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart, 35, and injured a third officer at a property in Porepunkah in August. The officers were part of a group of 10 police executing a search warrant when they were allegedly fired upon.
The 56-year-old Freeman, who had ties to pseudolaw or 'sovereign citizen' ideology, fled into the bush heavily armed, sparking a seven-month manhunt. He died after being shot by police on a remote property in Thologolong on 30 March.
The arrests come a day after the coroner's court held directions hearings into the deaths of the two officers and the final shootout. No dates have been set for the inquests, though they may occur next year. The court heard the officers were executing a warrant after receiving a disclosure of an alleged sexual assault involving a child under 16.
