Victoria police arrest two people as part of Dezi Freeman investigation

Dezi Freeman, the subject of a seven-month manhunt, was shot and killed by police in north-east Victoria on Monday. The shooting occurred at a property in the region at approximately 8:30 am. Freeman was wanted in connection to the alleged shooting deaths of two police officers in Porepunkah. Victorian police had been actively searching for the 56-year-old fugitive since the incident. The police have confirmed the identity of the deceased as Freeman, bringing the extensive search to a close.

After a seven-month manhunt, Australian police fatally shot Desmond Freeman in northeast Victoria. Freeman was wanted for the August 2023 killing of two police officers on a rural property. Hundreds of officers had been searching for Freeman in the rugged terrain since the initial shooting. Victoria Police confirmed the death in a statement, marking the end of one of Australia's largest manhunts. Local media reports identified Freeman as a conspiracy theorist and member of the "sovereign citizen" movement.

After a seven-month manhunt, Australian police shot and killed Dezi Freeman, the man who murdered two police officers in Porepunkah, Victoria, last August. The incident occurred on Monday morning at a rural property after a three-hour standoff. Police surrounded a building where Freeman was located and, after failed attempts to get him to surrender, shot him when he emerged armed. Authorities believe Freeman was aided while in hiding and will investigate those who assisted him. The initial police visit to Freeman's property in August was related to a sex offences investigation when the two officers were killed. While the death is considered a step forward, the Police Association of Victoria notes it doesn't erase the trauma caused by the initial murders.

Australian police fatally shot a suspect on Monday after a three-hour standoff in a remote area near Thologolong, Victoria. The suspect is believed to be Dezi Freeman, 56, wanted in connection with the shooting of three police officers on August 26 of the previous year near Porepunkah, which resulted in the deaths of two officers and serious injury to another. Police were originally at Freeman's home to serve a warrant. Authorities have not yet formally identified the body, a process that could take up to 48 hours. According to police, the suspect was inside a shelter and did not surrender, and they believed he was armed.