A man wanted over the deaths of two police officers in the Australian state of Victoria has been killed by officers after six months as one of the country’s most wanted fugitives.
Desmond Freeman, 56, was shot dead at a rural property in northeast Victoria at around 8.30am on Monday morning, bringing to a close one of the most extensive manhunts in the state’s recent history. No officers were injured during the operation. Victoria’s State Coroner is now expected to attend the scene, with Professional Standards Command overseeing an investigation into the circumstances of the shooting.
Freeman had been a fugitive since late August last year, when two officers were killed at a remote property near Porepunkah during the execution of a search warrant. Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart were shot dead during the incident. A third officer sustained serious injuries. Freeman was last seen fleeing into surrounding bushland, reportedly armed, and was not located again for six months.
The scale of the search operation that followed was considerable. Some 450 Victoria Police officers were deployed alongside Australian Federal Police, Australian Defence Force personnel, and officers from interstate. Authorities used heat-detecting technology during the operation, with armed officers in armoured Bearcat vehicles conducting searches of Freeman’s property. More than 100 properties across the Porepunkah area were examined. A no-fly zone extending 7.5 kilometres around Porepunkah Airport was also imposed given that Freeman was believed to be carrying firearms.
Investigators explored the possibility that Freeman had taken shelter in one of the region’s disused mineshafts, or that he was receiving assistance from supporters. A reward of one million Australian dollars — approximately £500,000 — was offered for information leading to his arrest.
Freeman, previously known by the surname Filby, had described himself as a sovereign citizen and was known to hold hostile views towards police and the judicial system. A married father of two, he was also understood to have extensive experience in bush survival, a factor that complicated efforts to locate him during the prolonged search.
Senior Constable de Waart-Hottart, who was 35, was honoured at a funeral service on 5 September. He had been on temporary assignment in Wangaratta at the time of the incident. Detective Thompson, who had served Victoria Police for 38 years, had been approaching retirement when he was killed. Both men were publicly remembered as dedicated officers who died in the line of duty.
The investigation into the original Porepunkah shooting remains ongoing.
