Dezi Freeman shot and killed two police officers at a remote Porepunkah property in Victoria’s northeast in August last year.
Two weeks later, Victoria Police offered a $1 million reward for information leading to Freeman’s arrest, and until Monday, the 56-year-old had been on the run.
The person who reportedly gave authorities a tip-off about the cop killer could now receive the life-changing reward.
Police shot and killed Freeman after he was found in a shipping-container hide-out near Walwa on the NSW-Victoria border, after a seven-month manhunt.
Authorities received information, it is believed, before the fugitive was found 188km northeast of where he was last seen at Porepunkah.
At a press conference on Monday, Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush remained coy on any further information surrounding the tip-off and said further details related to the $1 million reward would remain confidential.
He also said any claim of the reward would likely remain confidential indefinitely
The $1 million payout is unprecedented in Victoria. But police believed the amount could appeal to people who may know Freeman, an expert in criminology, told SBS last year.
Terry Goldsworthy, an expert in criminology at Bond University and a former police detective of 28 years, said: “The reward for Freeman is stimulating people’s greed.
“It’s interesting that the police are appealing through a base instinct that people could make some money.”
Freeman, formerly Filby, has been wanted by police since two officers were gunned down at a remote property at Porepunkah, in Victoria’s northeast, while they were trying to execute a search warrant on August 26.
Detective Leading Constable Neal Thompson and Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart were killed, and a third police officer was seriously injured during the shooting.
Police last saw the 56-year-old flee into bushland while armed with guns near the Rayner Track property.
In a statement, the Police Association Victoria said the fugitive’s death was a “step forward”.
“Our members said they would find him. They did,” a statement read.
“Closure isn’t the right word. This represents a step forward for our members, for the families of our fallen members and for the community.
“It doesn’t lessen the trauma, give back the futures that were callously stolen or lessen the collective fear and grief that this tragic event has instilled in police and the wider public.”
The association said it would not “reflect on the loss of a coward”.
“We will remember the courage and bravery of our fallen members and every officer that has doggedly pursued this outcome for the community,” the statement read.
“They have worked tirelessly. During this emergency, in the operation that followed and the months thereafter, members across the state have devoted themselves to this singular pursuit.
“Days like today offer a sobering reminder that policing happens while you sleep, when the media spotlight on the investigation dims, and everything seems lost and forgotten.”
– With Newswire
