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Victoria police have announced a million-dollar reward for information leading to the arrest of fugitive Dezi Freeman but given strict warnings to the public not to go searching, after the alleged murder of two police officers in Porepunkah last month.
The reward of “up to $1m” is the largest ever offered in Victoria for an arrest, said Det Insp Dean Thomas from the homicide squad. Thomas told media on Saturday morning that a number of “heavily armed” specialist police continued to search bushland in the Porepunkah area.
Freeman allegedly shot and killed the two officers when they were executing a search warrant at his residence on Rayner Track in Porepunkah in Victoria’s north-east on 26 August. A third officer was seriously injured and is now recovering at home.
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Freeman has been on the run since, and there have been no confirmed sightings of him since, Thomas said, but added that police “remain open” to all possibilities.
“There is the possibility that he remains out there in bushland and looking, being looked after by himself. There is also a likelihood that he is being assisted by by others. And there is also the chance that he is dead as a result of self-harm.”
Thomas was especially firm that no one go out searching for Freeman, “for obvious reasons”: “His propensity to use violence has been shown. He is high-risk to the community.”
Secondly, he warned: “We don’t want people being out there in that area, for our police officers to perhaps mistake [them] as being Freeman, and [them] finding themselves in a situation where they are confronted by our police officers.”
Since Freeman, also known as Desmond Filby, fled into the bush, speculation has swirled around how he has managed to hold out in the harsh alpine terrain. Police also acknowledged the possibility he is being harboured or helped by people in the community. Locals and experts have speculated that he may be hiding down a mineshaft or in an underground bunker.
Thomas said mineshafts continued to be actively searched.
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Over the past 12 days, a significant search for the alleged killer involving 450 police has been under way. Police had scoured more than 100 properties in the area, although bad weather has hampered efforts.
The Australian military was called in to help and is providing a planning specialist and air surveillance assets at the request of Victoria police.
As part of the effort to bring Freeman into custody peacefully and safely, police are offering the reward for information on his whereabouts that leads to his arrest, rather than conviction as is usual practice for reward bounties. Police urged anyone with information about Freeman’s whereabouts to contact Crime Stoppers.
“I stress to those that are listening that that’s what this reward is for. It is for information that leads to his apprehension and not his conviction,” Thomas said on Saturday morning.
“We believe this investigation will only be brought to resolution through assistance from members of the public.”
Freeman was last seen wearing dark green or khaki tracksuit pants, a dark green rain jacket, brown Blundstone boots and reading glasses. Police believe he remains armed and advised members of the public not to approach him, warning that anyone who saw him should call triple zero.
“Victoria police are very much of the strong belief that he remains a risk to the community, and he also remains a risk to anybody that may be assisting him,” Thomas said.
”If Freeman does see this, I ask that he he come into a police station, [that] he contact somebody to facilitate a surrender plan … and we will engage with him and take him into custody … You will not get away with this. If you are out there, you will be caught. It’s just about when – and we won’t stop until that occurs.”
The funeral for Sen Const Vadim de Waart-Hottart, 35, was held on Friday at the Victoria police academy, with thousands of mourners including the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, attending. A funeral service for Det Leading Sen Const Neal Thompson, 59, will take place on Monday.
