A week-long manhunt in rural Victoria has intensified as police warned on Monday that fugitive Dezi Freeman, accused of fatally shooting two officers, is receiving assistance from sympathisers within the community.
Freeman, 56, a self-identifying “sovereign citizen”, vanished into dense bushland near rural Porepunkah last Tuesday, when officers arrived with a search warrant reportedly tied to a sex crimes investigation.
Despite extensive operations involving helicopters, armoured vehicles, and heavily armed police, he has not been seen since.
Authorities believe locals may be helping him evade capture.
“People know the whereabouts of the person who has killed two cops,” Superintendent Brett Kahan said.
“People have chosen, for whatever reason, not to come forward. I’m taking this time to appeal to you to come forward.
“You are committing an extremely serious crime by harbouring or assisting in the escape of Dezi Freeman.”
He would not confirm how many individuals were under suspicion.
According to Mr Kahan, police suspect Freeman, who had earlier changed his surname from Desmond Christopher Filby to “Dezi Freeman” – a symbolic gesture of his belief in personal sovereignty – is backed by a “wide” support network.
Earlier, Mr Kahan had appealed directly to Freeman to call triple-0 – the emergency service number for Australia – and surrender.
“If Dezi Freeman is watching this, ring triple-0,” Mr Kahan said last week. “We will support a surrender plan; that option is open to him.”
On Monday, however, Mr Kahan announced that the surrender plan previously offered to Freeman was now being extended to anyone suspected of assisting him.
“Take up that offer, by whichever means you like, whether it be [calling] triple zero or otherwise,” he said. “We will formulate a surrender plan.”
Freeman was believed to be armed and “very dangerous”.
