Police have a “strong theory” about how fugitive Dezi Freeman moved undetected after allegedly killing two police officers in August, but have not disclosed details. Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said it would have been “very difficult” for Freeman to travel almost 200 kilometres to a remote container where he was found without assistance.
Sources told the Herald Sun that a Filipino couple had been hiding Freeman at the property. He emerged from the container firing a handgun stolen from Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, one of the officers he allegedly shot. Officers surrounded the container early Monday morning, deploying flash bangs before Freeman emerged shooting.
Police confirmed a man was shot about 8.30am at a property near Walwa, 188km northeast of Porepunkah, where Freeman was last seen on August 26. Chief Commissioner Bush said a formal identification process was underway but that the shooting appeared justified. He noted Freeman had an opportunity to surrender peacefully but did not.
Criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro said Freeman used “rat-like cunning” to evade capture and likely believed the law did not apply to him due to sovereign citizen ideology. Criminologist Dr Vincent Hurley said it was “very possible” Freeman had external help, though he doubted someone let him camp on their property. He added that police likely had Freeman under surveillance before acting.
