SYDNEY — Australian police believe fugitive Dezi Freeman, who was allegedly responsible for the shooting deaths of two officers on his property in the small town of Porepunkah last August, has been killed after a seven-month manhunt in rural Victoria. Victoria police chief commissioner Mike Bush confirmed a man was fatally shot by police shortly after 8.30 am on Monday, after an hours-long standoff in which he failed to surrender peacefully. He would not confirm the man was Freeman but said the shooting concluded Operation Summit, the investigation into Freeman’s actions, and brought closure to the families of the slain police officers. He also would not confirm the location of the shooting, which is believed to be in Walwa. Bush said the man is believed to be Freeman, but formal identification is still underway. “Should [his identity] be confirmed… this brings closure to what was a tragic and terrible event.” Police believe Freeman, 56, came out of a building armed and wrapped in a blanket shortly after 08:30 local time. “Our ultimate goal was to arrest the person,” Bush said. “There was an opportunity for him to surrender peacefully but he did not.”No officers were hurt during the operation, police said, which will be investigated, as is standard in police shootings. The squad sent to Freeman’s property on 26 August was there to search it amid an investigation into sex offences, when two senior constables were killed by Freeman. Their families were the first to be told about Freeman’s death, Bush said, adding that it would take 24 to 48 hours to confirm the identity of the body. Investigations will now focus on anyone who may have helped Freeman while he was on the run, Bush added. “It would be very difficult for him to get to where he was… without assistance,” Bush said. “If anyone was complicit, they will be held accountable.” In a statement on Monday, the Police Association of Victoria said Freeman’s death was a “step forward”. “Closure isn’t the right word,” the statement said, adding that it “doesn’t lessen the trauma” of the two police officers’ deaths. The Victorian opposition leader, Jess Wilson, and shadow police minister, Brad Battin, said their thoughts remained with the families of the officers who were shot in the line of duty. “Nothing can undo their loss, but today may bring a measure of closure,” the MPs said in a joint statement. “We commend the extraordinary skill, determination and persistence of Victoria Police, who have worked tirelessly to bring this matter to a close.” Freeman, whose real name was Desmond Filby, was a self-described “sovereign citizen”, part of an anti-government movement that rejects authority and laws. Locals in Porepunkah said he had lived on his property with his wife and two children. — AgenciesSYDNEY — Australian police believe fugitive Dezi Freeman, who was allegedly responsible for the shooting deaths of two officers on his property in the small town of Porepunkah last August, has been killed after a seven-month manhunt in rural Victoria. Victoria police chief commissioner Mike Bush confirmed a man was fatally shot by police shortly after 8.30 am on Monday, after an hours-long standoff in which he failed to surrender peacefully. He would not confirm the man was Freeman but said the shooting concluded Operation Summit, the investigation into Freeman’s actions, and brought closure to the families of the slain police officers. He also would not confirm the location of the shooting, which is believed to be in Walwa. Bush said the man is believed to be Freeman, but formal identification is still underway. “Should [his identity] be confirmed… this brings closure to what was a tragic and terrible event.” Police believe Freeman, 56, came out of a building armed and wrapped in a blanket shortly after 08:30 local time. “Our ultimate goal was to arrest the person,” Bush said. “There was an opportunity for him to surrender peacefully but he did not.”No officers were hurt during the operation, police said, which will be investigated, as is standard in police shootings. The squad sent to Freeman’s property on 26 August was there to search it amid an investigation into sex offences, when two senior constables were killed by Freeman. Their families were the first to be told about Freeman’s death, Bush said, adding that it would take 24 to 48 hours to confirm the identity of the body. Investigations will now focus on anyone who may have helped Freeman while he was on the run, Bush added. “It would be very difficult for him to get to where he was… without assistance,” Bush said. “If anyone was complicit, they will be held accountable.” In a statement on Monday, the Police Association of Victoria said Freeman’s death was a “step forward”. “Closure isn’t the right word,” the statement said, adding that it “doesn’t lessen the trauma” of the two police officers’ deaths. The Victorian opposition leader, Jess Wilson, and shadow police minister, Brad Battin, said their thoughts remained with the families of the officers who were shot in the line of duty. “Nothing can undo their loss, but today may bring a measure of closure,” the MPs said in a joint statement. “We commend the extraordinary skill, determination and persistence of Victoria Police, who have worked tirelessly to bring this matter to a close.” Freeman, whose real name was Desmond Filby, was a self-described “sovereign citizen”, part of an anti-government movement that rejects authority and laws. Locals in Porepunkah said he had lived on his property with his wife and two children. — Agencies
