Police swoop on isolated hamlet in bid to flush out Dezi Freeman

Police converged on an isolated farming area in north-east Victoria on Wednesday, as part of the manhunt for Dezi Freeman, who is accused of shooting dead two police officers.

Officers swooped on the hamlet of Goomalibee near the town of Benalla, 100 kilometres west of Porepunkah where Freeman allegedly shot dead two police officers in late August.

Specialist police units, as many as 20 police vehicles and a helicopter were deployed as part of the planned operation on Wednesday afternoon.

“This forms part of the ongoing investigation in the Porepunkah area in the search for Desmond Freeman,” Victoria Police said.

“There is no immediate risk to community safety and further information will be provided once operationally appropriate to do so.”

A no-entry sign, barriers and tape barred access to the Mount Buffalo National Park in the outskirts of Porepunkah on Thursday afternoon as police continued their search for Freeman in intermittent rain and single-digit temperatures.

An LED screen by the main gate on Mount Buffalo Road displayed the words “National Park closed” together with a yellow warning sign.

This masthead was unable to see the officers combing the mountainous terrain, home to sheer cliffs, dense bush and granite tors.

Sharon Purcell, a Goomalibee farmer, said a “whole lot of unmarked police cars” were stationed on a driveway in her neighbouring property.

She said she hadn’t received any information from police about the operation before she first noticed emergency services in the area around 2.45pm on Wednesday.

“The chopper’s gone now, it might have been up there for an hour,” she said. “It just about sent my cattle crazy.

“There’s a heap of bloody vehicles, I’ve probably seen about 20.”

Purcell, who has farmed in the area for 10 years, declined to say who owned the neighbouring property, only that “they’re really good neighbours”.

“It’s a close-knit community. We’re all farmers, we all know each other.”

Other Goomalibee neighbours, who did not want to be identified, reported seeing about a dozen police cars and a couple of ambulances on Wednesday afternoon.

They said the police helicopter flew up and down over Broken Creek for a couple of hours before heading off.

The police vehicles stayed in the area until after dark.

One resident said police would not tell them what was going on.

“I made sure I locked every door,” they said.

Neighbours said most residents are friendly with each other but largely keep to themselves.

Freeman is alleged to have shot dead Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart, 35, and Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, on August 26.

The two were part of a group of officers attempting to serve Freeman with a warrant over alleged historical sex abuse.

Another detective was seriously wounded in the incident.

Freeman then fled into nearby bushland and has not been seen since, despite a search involving hundreds of police officers that is now in its 36th day.

Police confirmed earlier this week that they had scaled back that operation.

Goomalibee had a population of 91 people in the 2021 census.

Several residents of the area reported seeing a police helicopter circling outside Benalla on Wednesday afternoon.

John, who called in to 3AW on Wednesday afternoon, told the Melbourne radio station he saw 15 to 20 unmarked police cars, a helicopter and a BearCat – a large armoured vehicle often used in high-risk operations.

“About 25 minutes ago they stormed through Benalla, you don’t see the BearCats up here,” he told 3AW.

Officers including specialist teams from interstate and abroad have searched more than 40 square kilometres of land by foot and air in the hunt for Freeman.

Police have received 1400 pieces of information from the public and daily offers of resource support from commissioners around Australia and New Zealand.

Mount Buffalo National Park remains closed, but visitors have been allowed to return to Porepunkah.

Businesses in the town were hit hard by emergency services directives to stay away while the search took place, and the state government announced a $2.5 million relief package for them on September 15.

Police continue to urge people in the area remain vigilant and not approach Freeman, who is considered armed and dangerous, if they spot him.

A $1 million reward and the possibility of indemnity remains available to anyone who provides information leading Freeman’s capture. This is the largest financial offer in Victoria’s history for facilitating an arrest.

Freeman’s wife Amalia and a 15-year-old boy were previously arrested and released without charge.

With AAP