Woman, boy arrested in search for accused cop killer
A woman and a teenage boy have been arrested and interviewed as police search for a fugitive accused of shooting dead two officers.
Armed police arrested woman and a teenage boy in an overnight operation, as they continue to hunt for a fugitive accused of murdering two officers.
The raid took place on Thursday night near Chandler Court and Francis Street in Porepunkah, about 300km northeast of Melbourne.
Around the same time, Victoria Police issued a “dangerous person” alert at 9.34 pm.
“A 42-year-old woman and 15-year-old boy were safely arrested at the address and taken into custody,” police confirmed in a statement on Friday.
“The Porepunkah pair were interviewed and released pending further enquiries.”
The arrests are related to the ongoing police search for 56-year-old Dezi Freeman – who is married with three children, one aged 19 and the others under 10 years – which is entering a fourth day.
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Journalists on the scene overnight, when police cars and officers raced to the street, reported that a person on a loudspeaker told people to come out “with nothing in your hands”.
Officers will on Friday scour mines, caves and dugouts for Freeman, who is heavily armed, 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.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday paid tribute to the dead officers, calling them 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.
Another wounded officer, 56, who was amongst a group of 10 attempting to serve a search warrant relating to alleged child sex offending, remains in hospital after being shot in the lower body.
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“This guy (Freeman) is clearly dangerous. He’s on the run and we want him caught,” Albanese said.
Weather conditions on the ground are expected to deteriorate on Friday, bringing wintry conditions including snowfall to 600m above sea level.
Every available asset and police capability was being deployed on the ground to apprehend Freeman, Deputy Commissioner Regional Operations Russell Barrett 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.
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,” Supt 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.
Det Snr Const Thompson was cut down in his “last week or so” of work before retirement, and Snr Const Vadim De Waart had a “great career in front of him”, Mr 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.
