Detectives investigating the movements of Dezi Freeman after the fatal Porepunkah police shootings have arrested two men and searched properties across Victoria and New South Wales, as authorities continue to examine whether the fugitive received help while on the run.
Victoria Police said Taskforce Summit investigators executed seven warrants on Tuesday morning, targeting rural and residential properties linked to the inquiry into Freeman’s movements between the August 2025 shootings and his death during a police confrontation in March. Police believe Freeman may have crossed into New South Wales during that period and may have been assisted by a number of people.
Seven warrants across two states
The coordinated operation involved searches at three Victorian properties in Buckland, Stanley and Lucyvale, as well as four New South Wales locations: Greenwich Park, Tarlo and Wombeyan Caves near Goulburn, and Umina Beach on the Central Coast. The warrants were carried out from about 6:20am, with NSW Police assisting at addresses north of the border.
A 64-year-old Lucyvale man was arrested in Wodonga and interviewed by police before being released without charge while inquiries continue. A 47-year-old Wombeyan Caves man was also arrested in Greenwich Park on unrelated outstanding warrants. Police said officers were speaking with occupants at the searched premises and had seized electronic devices for examination.
The investigation centres on the months after Freeman shot dead Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart at Porepunkah in Victoria’s north-east. The deaths triggered one of the state’s most significant police manhunts, with search teams focusing on rugged country near the Victorian alpine region and the border with New South Wales.
Police focus on alleged support network
Detective Inspector Anthony Gasparini said investigators had always considered the possibility that Freeman would have needed assistance to survive and move while evading police. He said police were now seeking to identify anyone who may have helped harbour a wanted fugitive or committed other serious offences.
Authorities have not alleged that either of the arrested men directly assisted Freeman, and no charges connected to the Taskforce Summit inquiry were announced on Tuesday. However, police said the searches formed part of a broader effort to map Freeman’s movements and determine how he managed to remain at large for several months.
Freeman died in March after a confrontation with police at a rural property at Thologolong, close to the Victoria-New South Wales border. His death ended the immediate search, but detectives have continued investigating the support he may have received, the places he visited and the people he contacted during his time as a fugitive.
Families and police await answers
The Porepunkah shootings deeply affected Victoria Police and the communities in the state’s north-east. The deaths of Thompson and de Waart-Hottart prompted tributes from colleagues and renewed focus on the risks faced by officers attending regional properties and executing warrants.
Police say the latest searches are part of a continuing process to provide answers to the officers’ families and to members of the force who were involved in the response. Investigators have again appealed for anyone with information about Freeman’s movements between August 2025 and March 2026 to contact police.
The case remains active, and police have indicated further action is possible if evidence from the searches or seized devices points to people who knowingly helped Freeman evade capture. For now, Taskforce Summit’s focus is on reconstructing the fugitive period in detail and determining whether others should be held responsible for any support he received.