Victoria police commissioner explains why Dezi Freeman remains at large in Porepunkah despite widespread searchDemi Huang7NEWSWed, 3 September 2025 2:24PM
Victoria’s police chief has hit back at questions about the manhunt for alleged cop killer Dezi Freeman as the search enters its ninth day.
Responding to questions on Wednesday about the hunt for the accused murderer, Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said the search area was “extremely complex, difficult, challenging”.
“You’re here, you’re in the environment. You, of all people, can understand the complexity and the challenges of searching for a person in this environment. It’s extremely challenging,” Bush said, speaking from Porepunkah in Victoria’s northeast.
“We have the best people at this task and I have full confidence that everything they’re doing is what needs to be done.”
More than 450 police officers have been sent to the alpine region to search for the 56-year-old self-described sovereign citizen.
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Freeman is accused of shooting two police officers during a search warrant at his Porepunkah home before fleeing into bushland armed with multiple weapons last Tuesday.
Since then, hundreds of officers have been deployed to the area, with the Australian Defence Force joining the hunt on Wednesday.
Bush confirmed the financial cost of the operation was being monitored but said details would only be released later.
Police have so far searched more than 100 properties.
“We will find the person responsible and we will locate them and put them before the courts,” Bush said.
He refused to detail the tactics being used, warning the fugitive was likely monitoring all communications.
“This person is armed and extremely dangerous. That adds whole new complexity to this investigation,” he said.
Detective Superintendent Jason Kelly said Freeman’s wife, Amalia Freeman, “was present on the morning of the incident”.
Over the weekend, Amalia publicly urged her husband to surrender, saying Victoria Police had her “full support” in the search.
“Please Dezi, if you see or hear this, call 000 and arrange a surrender plan with the police,” she said in a statement.
Bush thanked the community for its continued support and again appealed directly to Freeman.
“My message to him is that your destiny is in your hands,” he said.
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