Dezi Freeman allegedly shot and killed two police officers and then disappeared into bushland in Victoria's high country, triggering a wide-ranging manhunt. Hundreds of officers from across the country, including elite units, took part in searches around Mount Buffalo while state leaders visited the area. The victims were Det Leading Sen Const Neal Thompson, 59, a local detective planning retirement, and Sen Const Vadim De Waart, 35, on temporary alpine assignment; a third officer was injured and hospitalized. Local businesses and community members expressed devastation and paid tribute to the officers. Police say officers attended the Rayner Track property to arrest Freeman, who has been linked to the sovereign citizen moveme
It didn't take long for Dezi Freeman to allegedly shoot and kill two police officers before he vanished into the bush in the Victorian high country, seemingly without a trace. That brief moment in time launched a manhunt that has involved hundreds of police officers from all over the country, some of Australia's elite special forces, a visit from the premier and, as one local described it, a media circus in the small town of Porepunkah, in Victoria's north east.
Senior Victoria police officers have described Thompson as a well-loved and respected member of the community who was due to retire next month. De Waart, they say, was a bright young man looking forward to his future who was already known for his professionalism. Map Staff at Ineeta cafe in Moyhu, a town in between Porepunkah and Wangaratta, say they are absolutely devastated by Thompson's death.
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