Victoria Police Battle Brutal Conditions in Hunt for Accused Cop Killer
Police in Victoria have entered a second day in their desperate search for Dezi Freeman, a self-declared “sovereign citizen” accused of fatally shooting two officers during a search warrant operation at his rural property in Porepunkah.
The manhunt has intensified in the alpine region, about 300 km northeast of Melbourne, as authorities deploy “every resource” in their effort to track down the 47-year-old fugitive. Freeman allegedly opened fire on police Tuesday morning when around ten officers, including members of the Sexual Offences and Child Investigation Team, arrived at his Rayner Track property. Three officers were struck, two fatally.
Harsh Weather Threatens Search Efforts
As of midday Wednesday, Freeman remained at large. Police believe he fled into the dense bushland surrounding the property, a region he is thought to know intimately. But the worsening alpine weather is making the task increasingly treacherous for both the fugitive and search teams.
Sky News meteorologist Alison Osborne said temperatures in Porepunkah are expected to remain in the single digits, with a cold front driving them below zero later in the week. Heavy rainfall of up to 35 millimetres, coupled with damaging winds, fog, and even snowfall, is forecast.
“It’s cold, it’s wet, it’s windy and it is expected to get worse in the next two days,” Osborne said.
“Flying surveillance choppers in this kind of weather is not great, particularly in mountain areas … turbulence can get severe and that may impact search assets.”
Low clouds and thick fog are further reducing visibility across the “very wide search area,” forcing crews to battle through dangerous and unpredictable conditions.
Fears Freeman is Armed and Dangerous
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Rick Nugent said Freeman is believed to still be in possession of multiple high-powered firearms, including long-arms, raising the risk of further violence.
“He will know that area better than us, that is why we are putting in every expert supported by local knowledge,” Nugent said. “We have experts, the best in the country, doing everything we can to find that suspect.”
Authorities have also warned that Freeman may have set traps in the bushland to slow pursuit. Police are not ruling out the possibility that he may attempt to flee interstate into New South Wales.
Community on Edge
Porepunkah, usually a quiet alpine town, was subdued on Wednesday as locals were urged to remain indoors. Police issued text alerts warning residents:
“There is an active armed offender in the general area of Porepunkah.”
Local schools have remained closed, while residents expressed shock and unease at the violence that has shaken their community.
Freeman’s family members were located Tuesday night, with his partner voluntarily attending a police station. No firearms have yet been recovered from his property.
As the search continues, police remain committed to finding Freeman despite the extreme conditions.
