Police arrest two in investigation into Australian fugitive Freeman
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Desmond Freeman, who had been on the run for seven months for allegedly killing two police officers, was shot dead in a police operation in Porepunkah, Australia.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Melbourne - Australian police said they arrested two people on April 4 as part of an investigation into how a fugitive evaded capture for seven months after he had killed two police officers.
Desmond Freeman was shot and killed by police at a remote property in northern Victoria state on March 30, ending a manhunt which began in August 2025 when the 56-year-old fled into dense bushland.
Police resources were poured into the search for Freeman after he shot and killed two officers who had come to search his rural home in Victoria.
Victoria Police said a man and woman were arrested on April 4 at two separate properties in northeast Victoria and would be interviewed.
“The investigation remains ongoing and as such, we are not in a position to provide further details at this immediate time,” the police statement said.
Following the shooting of Freeman, Victoria Police chief commissioner Mike Bush described the manhunt as one of the “most significantly resourced police operations” in Australian history.
He said police believed the 56-year-old may have evaded capture with the help of locals.
“It would be very difficult for him to get to where he was without assistance,” Mr Bush said on March 30.
Freeman was sought after he killed 59-year-old detective Neal Thompson and 35-year-old senior constable Vadim De Waart.
A third officer was wounded in the lower body. AFP
