Victoria Police have announced a record-breaking $1 million reward for information that leads to the arrest of fugitive Dezi Freeman, who remains on the run after allegedly killing two police officers and injuring a third near Porepunkah in Victoria’s north-east.
Freeman, 56, has been at large for twelve days after a team of officers arrived at his rural property on August 26 with a search warrant for alleged historical sex offences.
Police say he fired on the officers, killing Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart, 35, and Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, before making his escape on foot, armed and carrying several weapons.
The father-of-two is described as Caucasian, 183cm tall, medium build, with short dark hair and brown eyes. On the day he disappeared, he was last seen wearing dark green tracksuit pants, a matching rain jacket, Blundstone boots, and glasses.
The size of the reward is unprecedented in Victoria, with previous $1 million offers restricted to information that led to a conviction, rather than just an arrest.
Homicide Squad Detective Inspector Dean Thomas made it clear why police have taken this step. “This figure recognises the seriousness of this violent offending and our commitment to locating Freeman as soon as possible so that he is no longer a risk to the broader community,” he said.
“Our aim in offering this reward is that it will lead someone out there, who may not have been willing to come forward until this time, to contact police. There is no doubt that up to a million dollars is a life-changing amount of money for anyone and has the potential to completely change their circumstances,” Thomas added.
More than 450 officers, including specialist squads and federal police, are combing the bushland and mountainous terrain around Porepunkah, sometimes in freezing conditions. Police have not had any confirmed sightings of Freeman since the shooting, though the search continues with helicopters and ground patrols.
Authorities say all scenarios are still on the table — Freeman could be receiving help, surviving in the wild alone, or may have died out in the bush.
Porepunkah residents, and travellers to nearby towns like Bright, Falls Creek or Mount Hotham, have been asked to avoid the area and keep an eye out for anything unusual.
Anyone who sees or knows anything about Dezi Freeman’s whereabouts is urged to contact Triple Zero (000) immediately.
Lead image: 9News
The post Search Intensifies For Dezi Freeman As Police Announce Unprecedented $1 Million Reward appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
