Two men have been arrested in the police investigation into cop killer Dezi Freeman.
Desmond ‘Dezi’ Freeman, 56, shot and killed two police officers – Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart – in the Victorian northeast town of Porepunkah last year.
Freeman was shot dead by police on March 30 after more than seven months on the run.
Victoria Police on Tuesday revealed two men, aged 48 and 45, have been arrested in the state’s northeast.
“Detectives from Taskforce Summit arrested two people this morning as part of their ongoing investigation into the movements of Desmond Freeman following the fatal shooting of two police officers in Porepunkah last August,” a police spokesperson said.
The men are due to be interviewed by police on Tuesday afternoon.
No charges have been laid.
Freeman fled into the bush after he opened fire on police on August 26 last year as they attempted to serve a warrant on him for alleged historical sexual offences.
Freeman was fatally shot by officers at a shipping container in Victoria’s northeast on March 30 after more than seven months on the run.
He was shot more than 20 times during the stand-off.
Police searching for the double cop killer had been led to his hide-out after allegedly tracking a person closely linked to the fugitive who made repeated trips between Porepunkah and Thologolong.
Two separate inquests are due to be held in Victoria: one into Freeman’s murder of two police officers, and another into the fatal shooting of him months later.
‘F–king scum’: Dezi’s words after murders
A hearing before State Coroner Liberty Sanger on Monday revealed Freeman had been shouting out that he and his family were “not coming out” of a bus they were holed up in on their property, and that the “search was illegal” when officers arrived at his home last August.
The court was told Constable Thompson had removed a perspex window and was climbing inside when a shotgun was discharged, killing him.
Freeman then emerged, shooting Constable de Waart-Hottart as officers sought cover.
“He was repeatedly saying ‘I had no choice, I had no choice’,” Counsel assisting the inquest Lindsay Spence told the hearing on Monday.
He told the court Freeman swore at Constable de Waart-Hottart and shot Constable Thompson with the police firearm.
“F–king scum die in hell you f–king…,” he was recorded saying.
“He stood over the bodies and said various things, which out of respect to the families I will not repeat,” Mr Spence said.
Freeman shot another officer, causing serious lower body injuries, and was last seen running down the hill towards the river.
He texted his wife: “See you in heaven love.”
‘Have a beer with me’
The hearing was told Freeman yelled “cowards come and get me” when officers found his hide-out in March this year.
“Come have a beer with me and talk about it,” Freeman yelled when he was shot with a non-lethal round to the leg before retreating into a shipping container.
Shortly after 8.20am the decision was made to pump gas into the shipping container and Freeman emerged at 8.29am with a green bag over his hands.
Mr Spence said footage from the police air wing captured Freeman dropping the bag and pointing Constable de Waart-Hottart’s firearm at police, before he was shot dead.
More to come
