Accused cop killer Dezi Freeman still on the run amid warning he could armed with ‘multiple powerful guns’

• The search continues for fugitive gunman Dezi Freeman for a third day (also known as Desmond Filby), accused of murdering two Victoria Police officers in cold blood at a property in Porepunkah, about 300km north-east of Melbourne on Tuesday morning.
• Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, 35, were shot dead while attempting to serve a search warrant on Tuesday. A third officer survived after undergoing surgery and is expected to recover.
• Porepunkah, a town of about 1000 residents in Victoria’s alpine region, remains under tight police control. Locals reported hearing loud bangs resembling gunfire as officers returned to the property where the shootings occurred.
• Freeman fled into bushland immediately after the attack. He was last seen wearing dark green tracksuit pants, a dark green rain jacket, brown Blundstone boots and reading glasses. Police say he is believed to be a sovereign citizen, part of a fringe anti-government movement that rejects the rule of law.
• Bad weather and Freeman’s bush survival skills are hampering the search. Hundreds of officers are combing the rugged landscape on foot and by air.
• On Tuesday night, Freeman’s partner and children presented themselves at a police station and spoke with officers.
• There have been no sightings of Freeman since he went into bushland on Tuesday morning.
• As the search continues this morning, up to 27mm of rain is predicted to strike, and tempertures won’t rise above nine degrees.
• Police warn the public to not approach Freeman as he may be armed with mulitple firearms.

Police have confirmed that there have been no confirmed sightings of Dezi Freeman since Tuesday as the extensive manhunt for the alleged gunman continues.

‘To give you an idea of the resources that we’ve deployed to the area, we’ve got Homicide Squad, Armed Crime Squad, Fugitive Squad, Special Operations Group, Critical Incident Response Team – they all remain in the Porepunkah area,’ Senior Constable Paul Hogan told ABC Radio on Thursday.

Porepunkah residents are urged to stay indoors and avoid non-essential travel as the search continues.

‘We’re sympathetic to the Porepunkah people,’ Constable Hogan said.

‘We know it’s not ideal for them that they need to stay indoors and be conscious of what’s around them.

‘But remember, this man is believed to be armed with firearms and we urge people not to approach him.

‘If anyone sights this man or someone they believe to be this man, we urge them do not approach him – call triple-0 immediately.’

Landmarks and monuments across Australia lit up in blue on Wednesday night in honour of the two Victoria Police officers killed in the line of duty.

Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, 35, were shot dead by suspected gunman Dezi Freeman at a property in Porepunkah on Tuesday.

A third officer who was wounded remains in hospital after undergoing surgery.

Melbourne CBD landmarks that paid tribute included Flinders Street Station, Melbourne Town Hall, National Gallery of Victoria, State Paliament House and Crown Melbourne.

In Canberra, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw laid a wreath at the National Police Memorial, which also lit up in blue.

Several roadblocks have been removed in Porepunkah as the manhunt for alleged police killer Dezi Freeman enters its third day.

Police and authorities will be based at nearby Feathertop Winery, where a makeshift command station was set up earlier in the week.

The search continues to be hampered by bad weather conditions.

Up to 27mm of rain and a top of 9C are forecast for the region on Thursday.

Police have confirmed thatt ‘severe weather conditions have complicated travel in the area.

Similar conditions are forecast for Friday.

The local primary school will re-open on Thursday after it went into lockdown following the shooting.

Council facilities in the nearby towns of Myrtleford and Mount Beauty have also reopened.

However, council facilities in Bright and Porepunkah remain closed until further notice.

‘At this stage, facilities and public waste areas in Bright and Porepunkah are not being serviced, and this will be reviewed over the next 24 hours,’ Alpine Shire Council posted.

Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, 35, have been named as the officers killed by suspected gunman Dezi Freeman in Porepunkah on Tuesday.

Detective Thompson, from Wangaratta CIU, was just weeks from retirement.

A keen outdoorsman, he had previously dealt with Freeman and was chosen to serve the warrant due to their rapport. He was reportedly the first to knock on the door and was allegedly ambushed.

‘Neal joined Victoria Police in September 1987,’ police said. ‘He worked in general duties, major fraud, and state crime squads before joining Wangaratta CIU in 2007. He loved nature and had found new purpose with his partner Lisa, building a home and planning for retirement.’

Senior Constable De Waart, originally from Belgium, joined Victoria Police in 2018 and was on secondment in northeast Victoria. Fluent in four languages, he had interests in travel, public speaking, and computer graphics.

‘Vadim started at the Academy in December 2018, then worked at St Kilda before joining PORT in 2023,’ police said. ‘He was a keen traveller, gin collector, and proud homeowner. He is survived by his parents in Belgium, brother in Switzerland, and extended family in Melbourne.’

Senior Constable Vadim de Waart (top) and Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson.

The neighbour of suspected cop killer Dezi Freeman has broken his silence, revealing chilling threats and years of torment.

Zar Saccutelli says Freeman, a self-declared sovereign citizen, once threatened to kill his teenage son and regularly called police to harass neighbours – despite later branding officers ‘Gestapo Nazi terrorist thugs’.