Dezi Freeman shot dead by police after seven-month manhunt
Fugitive dezi freeman was shot dead by police shortly after 8: 30am ET at a rural property in north‑east Victoria, ending a seven‑month manhunt. He had allegedly killed two police officers at a property in Porepunkah on 26 August and then fled into dense bushland. Victorian police said no officers were injured in Monday’s operation and the State Coroner will attend the scene.
Dezi Freeman identified at the scene
Wayne Gatt, secretary of the Police Association of Victoria, confirmed the man shot was dezi freeman and said, “Our members said they would find him. They did. ” Gatt added, “Closure isn’t the right word, ” and said the outcome “doesn’t lessen the trauma” for the families and colleagues of the two officers. The Police Association of Victoria issued a statement describing the development as a step forward while emphasizing ongoing grief.
What happened during the operation
Victorian police said a man was fatally shot at a rural property in north‑east Victoria shortly after 8: 30am ET as part of efforts to locate dezi freeman. Authorities stated the operation was linked to the manhunt following the alleged 26 August killings in Porepunkah, where two officers — Detective Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart — were shot while serving a search warrant. The police said no officers were hurt in Monday’s shooting and that the State Coroner will attend the scene to examine the circumstances.
Police further said the investigation of the shooting will be overseen by Professional Standards Command as part of the standard process for a police shooting. Investigators have been searching for dezi freeman since the August incident; he allegedly fled into bushland after the Porepunkah shootings. The police statement noted standard investigative steps will follow a fatal police shooting and that oversight arrangements are in place.
Immediate reactions and what’s next
Officials and the police association reacted swiftly on Monday, marking the end of the manhunt for dezi freeman while underlining that the outcome will not erase the loss suffered by colleagues and families. The Police Association of Victoria said the result represents a step forward for members and the community but reiterated that it “doesn’t lessen the trauma. ” Victorian police confirmed oversight by Professional Standards Command and that the State Coroner will conduct inquiries at the scene.
Freeman, also named in records as Desmond Filby, was the subject of extensive searches for months after the alleged killings. Investigators will continue to process the property and gather evidence at the location where dezi freeman was shot. Authorities have said they will maintain standard investigative and oversight procedures as the matter moves to coronial and professional review.
Watch for a police press conference scheduled for later in the day and for formal statements from the State Coroner and Professional Standards Command as authorities complete on‑site work and open the next phase of inquiries into the events that followed the Porepunkah shootings and the ending of the manhunt for dezi freeman.
