Police shot and killed fugitive Dezi Freeman in a rural area of Victoria, Australia, after a seven-month manhunt following the fatal shootings of two police officers.
Manhunt Ends in Fatal Shooting
Victoria Police confirmed a man was killed at a rural address near Walwa shortly after 8:30 a.m. Monday (local time) as part of the operation to locate the gunman. Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said police were unable to officially confirm the person was Freeman pending formal identification, but stated, “We believe it is Freeman.”
The incident occurred at a rural property in Thologolong, near Walwa, more than two hours’ drive from Porepunkah on the Victorian-NSW border. Images from the scene show a white structure where Freeman was held. No police were injured during the shooting.
The stand-off began around 5:30 a.m. and lasted approximately three hours, Bush said. Police believed, but had not yet confirmed, that Freeman was armed. He added that Freeman was given an opportunity to surrender peacefully, but he did not.
“Everything I know at this point tells me that this shooting was justified,” Bush said.
Freeman was wanted in connection with the fatal shootings of Neal Thompson and Vadim de Waart-Hottart, who were shot while serving a warrant at his home in Porepunkah in late August. Freeman, also known as Desmond Filby, had been on the run since fleeing into bushland.
Investigators are exploring the possibility Freeman received assistance in evading police. Neil Sutherland, whose brother owns the property where the shooting occurred, said his brother was in Tasmania and not a sovereign citizen.
Sutherland, who lives nearby, reported hearing helicopters and a gunshot. Bush said it would have been “very difficult” for Freeman to remain hidden without assistance. “If anyone was complicit they will be held to account,” he said.
Detective Senior Constable Thompson, 59, was nearing retirement, while Senior Constable de Waart-Hottart, 34, was temporarily assigned to the area. Families of the slain officers were notified of the shooting first, Bush said.
The police union praised officers for finding Freeman but said his death wouldn’t lessen the trauma of losing their two colleagues. “Today, we won’t reflect on the loss of a coward,” a spokesperson said.
Hundreds of police from across Australia participated in the search, facing challenging conditions including snow, heat, and dense bushland. Investigators revealed in December they had shifted their focus to locating Freeman’s body.
Victoria Police had offered a AU$1 million reward (NZ$1.21 million) and the possibility of indemnity for information leading to his capture, the largest financial offer in the state’s history for facilitating an arrest.
Freeman’s wife Mali and a 15-year-old boy were previously arrested but released without charge.
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