Two men have been arrested in connection with the movements of Dezi Freeman, the man who fatally shot two police officers in Porepunkah, Victoria, before evading capture for months. The arrests were made on Tuesday as part of Operation Summit, the ongoing investigation into Freeman's activities following the August shootings.
Arrests in North-East Victoria
Police confirmed that detectives apprehended a 48-year-old and a 45-year-old at two separate locations in north-east Victoria. The individuals are now being interviewed by authorities. "The investigation remains ongoing, and we are not in a position to provide further details at this time," a police spokesperson stated.
Background of the Shootings
Freeman, 56, shot and killed Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hartog, 35, and injured a third officer at a property in Porepunkah on August 26. The officers were part of a group of ten police personnel serving a search warrant related to an alleged sexual assault involving a child under 16 and an attempt to involve a child in producing child abuse material.
The Manhunt and End of Freeman
After the shootings, Freeman fled into the bush heavily armed, sparking a high-profile manhunt. He was known to have associations with pseudolaw or "sovereign citizen" ideology. The seven-month search ended on March 30 when Freeman was shot and killed by police on a remote property in Thologolong, near the Victoria-New South Wales border.
Coronial Inquests
The arrests come a day after the coroner's court held two separate directions hearings regarding the deaths of the two police officers and the final shootout involving Freeman. No dates have been set for the inquests, though they may occur next year. State Coroner Liberty Sanger noted that the officers were executing a search warrant after receiving a disclosure of an alleged sexual assault and child abuse material.
This article was amended on 26 May 2026. An earlier version stated the arrested men were aged 48 and 35, based on Victoria police information; police later corrected this to 48 and 45.
For support in Australia, contact Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800; adult survivors can reach Blue Knot Foundation at 1300 657 380. In the UK, NSPCC offers support at 0800 1111 for children, and adults concerned about a child at 0808 800 5000. In the US, call the Childhelp abuse hotline at 800-422-4453.
