Victoria Police have shot dead a man believed to be fugitive gunman Dezi Freeman at a rural property in the state’s north-east. He was reportedly shot shortly after 8.30 this morning following a three-hour stand off.
Victoria Police is yet to officially confirm the identity of the man but mainstream media understands it was Freeman who has been on the run since the fatal shooting of two police officers last August. The police report that no officers were injured in the incident.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said a “very formal identification process” had to be carried out before the man’s identity could be confirmed.
The State Coroner will attend the scene and Professional Standards Command will oversee the investigation into the shooting of Freeman.
“There was an opportunity for him to surrender peacefully, which he declined,” Chief Commissioner Bush said.
Victorian government minister Sonya Kilkenny said, “The main thing is that our thoughts, our concerns and our support are with the Porepunkah community and, of course, the families of the two police officers killed in that tragic incident almost six months ago.”
Freeman, 56, has been on the run since August over the fatal shooting of two police officers at Porepunkah. Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart, 35, were killed in the shooting.
Freeman, a self-proclaimed “sovereign citizen”, then fled into bushland at Mount Buffalo National Park and had not been seen since.
Source: ABC News
