Porepunkah Shooting: Search for Dezi Freeman Continues into Fourth Day After Late-Night Police Operation

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Key Points

The hunt for accused killer Dezi Freeman has entered its fourth day.
Police raided a property in the Victorian town of Porepunkah on Thursday night.
Two people were arrested, interviewed and released pending further investigation.

Police have arrested two people in the Victorian town of Porepunkah as part of their hunt for a heavily armed fugitive accused of murdering two police officers earlier this week.

Fugitive Squad detectives, along with Special Operations Group members, attended a Porepunkah address about 8.40pm on Thursday, Victoria Police said in a statement on Friday morning.

A 42-year-old woman and a 15-year-old boy were safely arrested at the address and taken into custody. The pair were interviewed and released pending further enquiries.

The raid took place near Chandler Court and Francis Street, close to the centre of the town, about 300km north-east of Melbourne, around the same time police issued a “dangerous person” alert at 9.34pm.

Journalists on the scene reported that a person on a loudspeaker told people to come out “with nothing in your hands”.

A white house, with two vehicles parked on the lawn near it.

The house in Porepunkah where a woman and boy were arrested and later released on Thursday night. Source: AAP / Allanah Sciberras

The search for fugitive Dezi Freeman, 56, enters its fourth day on Friday.

Officers will scour mines, caves and dugouts for Freeman, as tough weather conditions continue to impact the search.

Freeman — also known as Desmond Filby — fled into bushland after he allegedly killed detective leading senior constable Neal Thompson, 59, and senior constable Vadim De Waart, 35, at a Porepunkah property on Tuesday.

A composite image of Dezi Freeman and a rural property.

Dezi Freeman is wanted for allegedly murdering two police officers at a property in Porepunkah, Victoria. Source: AAP / Victoria Police / Simon Dallinger

The officers were part of a group of 10 who were attacked while executing a search warrant on Tuesday morning.

Another wounded officer who was among the group is expected to recover after undergoing surgery.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to the dead officers on Friday, describing them as heroes.

“Detective Thompson and senior constable De Waart are heroes, and we also give our thoughts to those who have been injured during this incident,” he told Nine’s Today show.

A composite image, one of an older man outside with a dog, and another of a younger man wearing a police uniform.

Detective leading senior constable Neal Thompson (left) and senior constable Vadim De Waart (right) were killed at a property in Porepunkah, Victoria on Tuesday. Source: AAP

“[Freeman] is clearly dangerous. He’s on the run and we want him caught,” Albanese said.

Weather conditions to hamper search efforts

Weather conditions on the ground are forecast to deteriorate on Friday after showers laced with hail and thunderstorms passed through on Thursday, bringing wintry conditions, including snowfall to 600m above sea level, senior meteorologist Angus Hines said.

“That’s our purpose, and we will not rest until it occurs,” he said on Thursday.

Superintendent Brett Kahan said the terrain was difficult and dangerous.

“It’s not something that we, even with our specialist resources, can move through quickly,” he said.

“We will systematically search areas of interest,” Barrett said.

Anyone assisting Freeman has been urged to reconsider or risk serious punishment, while the accused gunman himself was urged to surrender.

“Ring triple zero, and we will support a surrender plan. That option is absolutely open to him,” Kahan said.

The bodies of the fallen officers were given a guard of honour by flashing-light police cars as they were taken to Melbourne Coroners Court on Wednesday night.

Thompson was killed in his “last week or so” of work before retirement, and de Waart had a “great career in front of him”, Barrett said.

Freeman, who has bush survival experience, was last seen wearing dark green tracksuit pants, a dark green rain jacket, brown Blundstone boots and reading glasses, police said.

He is believed to be a sovereign citizen, an ideology that questions government authority and whose followers believe the rule of law doesn’t apply to them, and who disassociate from society.