Victoria Police have declared they will continue to hunt for anyone who assisted fugitive Dezi Freeman during his seven months on the run, following the murders of two officers last year. Freeman was shot dead in Victoria's north-east on Monday after emerging from a shipping container and presenting a weapon to police.
Chief Commissioner Mike Bush stated, 'We have no sympathy or empathy for anyone who's harboured a police killer inside the state of Victoria.' Investigations are ongoing at the scene in Thologolong, where multiple officers fired at Freeman when he appeared holding a firearm under a blanket.
Freeman fled after fatally shooting Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart at a property in Victoria's High Country on August 26 last year. A third officer was injured during the execution of a search warrant for historical sex offences.
Chief Commissioner Bush confirmed the weapon Freeman held was a service pistol belonging to one of the murdered officers. Forensic examination will determine if shots were fired from it. A tip-off led to Freeman's location, following over 2,000 leads in the investigation.
Premier Jacinta Allan declared, 'An evil man is dead… it's good that this individual is no longer a threat to the Victorian community.' Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described Freeman's actions as 'reprehensible'. Freeman's son, Koah, expressed grief and criticized those celebrating his father's death, writing, 'Before you have something smart to say, how about you try and experience 1% of what me and my family are going through?'
