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It resembled a scene straight out of a dystopian film.
After seven months on the run, Dezi Freeman emerged from a shipping container, clutching a blanket. Authorities report that he then brandished a firearm, taken from one of the officers he had slain.
In mere moments, Australia’s most elusive fugitive lay lifeless, encircled by a collection of old vehicles and farming machinery, hinting at how he managed to survive in Victoria’s stunning yet isolated landscape.
The tactical operation kicked off at 5:30 a.m. yesterday when elite police forces descended upon the container, initiating a high-stakes standoff. The confrontation concluded three hours later when a police BearCat breached the container, deploying flash bangs and smoke grenades.
The probe, however, had been active for several months before this pivotal development.
9News understands officers had their eye on the Thologolong property for several days following a tip-off from someone close to Freeman wanting the $1 million reward.Â
It’s on the NSW border near Lake Hume, closer to Canberra than Melbourne, and more than a day’s walk from Porepunkah through sparsely populated terrain.
Friends who’ve spoken publicly since his death agree with police on one thing.
“He couldn’t have done all this on his own. He must have been being assisted by someone else,” friend Alex Kristic said, adding “quite frankly I’m glad this guy’s dead”.
Bush said he was “very keen to learn who”.
“I’m sure some actually assisted him in getting away from Porepunkah to where he was located,” he said.
The property where Freeman made his last stand was littered with rubbish. Cars, tractors, three caravans, even a boat and a canoe, marked the green grass between three scattered shipping containers of different sizes and colours.Â
The self-proclaimed sovereign citizen had been living off-grid, solar panels producing what little electricity the property had.
It featured a makeshift kitchen and two chairs side by side, suggesting he had not always been alone. But Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said there was no sign of anyone else there in the 24 hours before.
At 8.30am, Freeman emerged from the shipping container almost naked, wrapped in a blanket and armed with a gun he stole from the slain officers in August.
This time, police took no chances, shooting him dead.
“I have seen video of the deceased leaving the building and presenting a firearm at our officers,” Bush said.
“That action took away any discretion our officers had.”
Neil Sutherland says his brother, who’s been in Tasmania for four months, owns the property but has never met Freeman.
“He’s in shock,” Sutherland said.Â
“Actually, he’s in more shock than I am because it’s obviously – it’s his property.”
Bush yesterday afternoon said police were still trying to find and speak with the owner.
Three weeks ago, police announced they would not charge Freeman’s wife, Mali, with obstruction of police.
She was present at the time of the shooting, along with a man connected to the Porepunkah property.
“It’s very important for us to understand how long he’s been here and who else was complicit in getting him here and then caring for him or providing him with food and other things to this point,” Bush said, promising they would be “held to account”.
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