Victoria Police are entering their fourth day in the hunt for alleged cop killer and self-proclaimed sovereign citizen Dezi Freeman, 56, after two officers were fatally shot and a third wounded during a raid at his property earlier this week.
Late Thursday night, heavily armed police raided a house in Porepunkah, arresting a 42-year-old woman and a 15-year-old boy, believed to be Freeman’s wife Mali and son. Both were questioned and later released pending further inquiries.
The shift from searching dense bushland near Freeman’s rural property to raiding a house in the township marks a significant escalation. Officers used loudspeakers, ordering occupants to emerge “with nothing in your hands,” before storming the premises.
Authorities have imposed a no-fly zone around Porepunkah until Sunday night, allowing helicopters and drones with thermal imaging to scour the alpine terrain.
The killings of Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart have shaken the state.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged full federal support, calling Freeman “dangerous” and stressing the urgency of bringing him into custody.
Freeman’s estranged family said in a statement: “Decades ago, Dezi detached himself from us in both name and ideology. We stand with Victoria Police and the families of the murdered officers.”
Freeman, who legally changed his surname from Filby to reflect his radical sovereign citizen beliefs, remains on the run in rugged terrain near Mount Buffalo National Park, as freezing weather hampers the search.
