Manhunt for Dezi Freeman Enters Third Week in Victoria's High Country
Intense police action initiated at the location of the deadly shootout involving suspected cop killer Dezi Freeman, with numerous heavily-armed officers flooding the vicinity
A police operation is underway in bushland near Porepunkah in Victoria's High Country, as the manhunt for Dezi Freeman, who is accused of killing two police officers, enters its third week.
Heavily-armed and specialist police, aided by the Australian Defence Force (ADF), have been searching deep bushland near Porepunkah since the shootout that took the lives of Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart. About a dozen police units have been participating in the operation, with hundreds of officers lining the street to give a guard of honour as Thompson's coffin left the chapel.
The operation is at a property about five minutes from where Freeman allegedly killed the two officers. Two key roads, Buckland Valley Rd and Mt Buffalo Rd, have been shut for the operation. Hundreds of tips and pieces of new information have been received by the police since announcing a $1million reward.
Senior Constable Thompson was farewelled at a service at the Victoria Police Academy in Melbourne, with attendees including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan, Victoria Police Commissioner Mike Bush, and Police Association chief executive Wayne Gatt. His partner, Lisa Thompson, spoke at the service.
Six pallbearers carried Thompson's coffin to a white hearse outside the chapel, while heavily-armed camouflaged police were seen exiting their vehicles and searching scrubland. The police helicopter was also present during the operation.
It's understood that the slain officers were among ten Victoria Police members who attended Freeman's makeshift home before the shootout ensued. The exact details of the operation's leadership and the execution of searches are typically handled by the responsible authorities, such as the local police force, the state or regional government, or the local prosecutor's office.
So far, more than 100 properties in the surrounding towns have been searched. The investigation is ongoing, and further updates will be provided as information becomes available. It is essential to respect the personal rights and the presumption of innocence, especially when dealing with alleged criminal matters.
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