Two men arrested as police investigate fugitive’s movements after killing police

Two people have been arrested by police and are now being questioned as officers investigate how fugitive Dezi Freeman remained on the run after fatally shooting two police officers in Porepunkah in August last year.

Detectives from Taskforce Summit, a special group set up to track Freeman’s movements, arrested the pair today “as part of their ongoing investigation into the movements of Desmond Freeman”.

A 48-year-old man and a 35-year-old man, each arrested at separate locations in north-east Victoria, are now being questioned by police.

“The investigation is ongoing and as such we are not in a position to provide further details at this time,” police said in a statement.

Freeman was shot dead at a property in Thologolong in March this year after seven months on the run.

At the time of his death, police vowed to follow every angle of his escape, including whether he received help from others.

The coroner’s court will hear about Freeman’s final moments

The two arrests came a day after a coroner learned of the final moments before double cop killer Dezi Freeman died in a hail of bullets.

Holding a police-issued pistol stolen from an officer he left for dead months earlier, Freeman was struck by a hail of police bullets at a remote property in Thologolong, Victoria, on March 30.

New details about Freeman’s death were detailed at a Coroners Court hearing yesterday.

The court previously heard 56-year-old Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart and Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson were murdered at his estate in Porepunkah, 310km northwest of Melbourne, in August 2025.

The officers executed a warrant after disclosing an alleged sexual abuse incident involving a child, as well as an attempt to involve a child in the production of child abuse material.

Seven months later, Freeman would point the stolen gun at a team of arresting officers before being shot himself.

Counsel assisting Lindsay Spence said court officers tracked Freeman to a shipping container in Thologolong.

Police surrounded the home on the morning of March 30 in an attempt to negotiate with Freeman over the loudspeaker.

After two hours of negotiations, the police placed gas in the shipping container.

Freeman emerged with a green bag covering his hands, before dropping the bag to reveal a firearm.

“The deceased was struck and immediately fell to the ground,” Spence told the court.

“The black pistol, which the deceased had pointed and fired at the members of the (Special Operations Group), was later confirmed as the police-issued pistol he had stolen from Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart.”

Freeman had told the fatally wounded officer to die in hell moments before shooting him again, the court was previously told.

Police had attempted to arrest Freeman in Porepunkah, where he lived in a converted bus with his family, including his wife Mali.

Five officers had knocked on the door before Freeman shouted and refused to come out, saying police could “go to hell,” Spence said.

Freeman was eventually shown a copy of the search warrant, which he described as “nonsense.”

The court heard an officer climbed onto the roof of the bus but was unable to gain access before Freeman said he would come out.

After failing to get off, Thompson lifted himself through a window to gain access to the bus, but when his feet hit the ground he was shot.

He suffered a gunshot wound to the face and neck and immediately collapsed.

A second officer, who was standing next to Thompson, shouted “gun” and ran away, activating a duress alarm, the court heard.

Freeman then shot the Waart-Hottart while the other officers ran and took cover behind a shipping container.

“I had no choice,” Freeman said.

The court heard Freeman returned to the bus after the shooting and swore over the bodies of both fallen officers.

“Fing scum, die in hell,” he shouted at police before firing De Waart-Hottart’s firearm at Thompson again.

Freeman then got off the bus with two guns and shot at a third officer, wounding him.

“He was last seen walking down the hill towards the river,” Spence told the court.

Freeman later sent a message to his wife.

“Go a mile away and keep going. See you in heaven, honey,” he texted.

There is much speculation about how Freeman ended up in Thologolong, about 150km from Porepunkah, where he fatally shot the officers.

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