After 216 days on the run, how was Dezi Freeman caught and what happens now?
- Written by: Terry Goldsworthy, Associate Professor in Criminal Justice and Criminology, Bond University
For more than 200 days, police killer Dezi Freeman was on the run in the harsh bush terrain[1] of north-east Victoria after shooting and killing two police officers[2] in August 2025.
Freeman was reportedly shot dead[3] by police on Monday morning.
In a press conference on Monday, Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush didn’t confirm the identity of the person killed, nor the exact location of the incident.
But a spokesperson earlier said[4]: “A man has been fatally shot by police at a property in north-east Victoria this morning as part of the operation to locate Desmond Freeman”.
Bush said police would seek to formally identify the body as soon as possible.
So how was he caught, what happens now in terms of the criminal investigations and what implications may there be for policing after this incident?
How was Freeman caught?
Freeman’s disappearance sparked one of the most extraordinary manhunts in Australian history.
At its peak the hunt for Freeman involved hundreds of police and other experts, drones, helicopters and specialist police dogs.
Read more: Treacherous terrain: the search for alleged police killer Dezi Freeman[5]
In February police declared they “strongly believed[6]” Freeman was dead.
Despite this, police continued to search for Freeman or his remains.
The fact police actively continued to search for Freeman despite stating he was likely dead suggests the statement may well have been a tactic to lure him out.
Using a ploy such as this can entice a fugitive into thinking police may be reducing the intensity of the search.
Bush said there was “a lot to suggest Freeman had taken his own life” with police following every possible lead.
On Monday, it was reported police received a tip-off[7] last week, with Freeman hiding[8] in a caravan or shipping container-style structure on a property.
Bush said police appealed for the person to come out of where he was hiding, which resulted in a three-hour standoff. He was given an opportunity to surrender peacefully but he was shot and killed following the standoff with police.
No officers were hurt.
Freeman would have been regarded as a high level threat risk – police would have approached him with the utmost caution and preparedness.
The homicide investigation
While police searched for Freeman, a parallel criminal investigation has been in full swing. The murder investigation of the two police officers has involved units from the homicide, armed crime and fugitive squads[9] as well as local detectives.
For major crimes such as this, criminal investigations move through a number of stages[10].
In this case, the investigation would have focused primarily on the crime scene where the officers were shot.
Any additional crime scenes would need to be identified such as clothing or weapons discarded by Freeman. This will now include the site of the shooting of Freeman.
All crime scenes need to be protected until they can be processed: restricting public access and protecting it from the elements.
During the investigation, detectives would have identified possible witnesses and evaluated the physical evidence available.
During the search for Freeman more than 100 properties were searched.[12]
Investigators also focused on other people who may have aided Freeman prior to or after the shootings. Given the amount of time Freeman was on the run, it is highly likely he had assistance. Bush intimated police had several suspects.
As part of the investigation, police offered a A$1 million dollar reward [13] for information to locate him.
Ultimately the final stage of any investigation is the arrest stage. It was at this stage that police shot dead a man likely to be Freeman.
Police actions to be investigated
Victoria Police’s Professional Standards Command will conduct and oversee an investigation into the shootings[14] – both the initial fatal shooting of the police officers and the fatal shooting of Freeman.
This is standard procedure where there is a critical incident that results in a death or serious injury resulting from contact between police and the public.
Investigations look to assess if the incident was preventable or whether changes need to made to police policies and procedures to prevent similar incidents from occurring.
The death of the two officers and Freeman are reportable deaths[15] under the Victorian Coroners Act and will be investigated by the coroner.
In this case the coroner will hold an inquest, as an inquest is mandatory in matters involving homicide where no one is charged, and for deaths in custody. An inquest goes beyond an investigation[16] by holding public hearings and looking at the circumstances around the deaths.
This happened when four Victorian police officers were killed during a traffic stop[17] in 2020.
Victoria Police would have been preparing a report for the coroner since the initial shootings – this report will now also contain information in relation to the shooting of Freeman.
References
- ^ harsh bush terrain (theconversation.com)
- ^ shooting and killing two police officers (www.abc.net.au)
- ^ reportedly shot dead (www.abc.net.au)
- ^ spokesperson earlier said (www.heraldsun.com.au)
- ^ Treacherous terrain: the search for alleged police killer Dezi Freeman (theconversation.com)
- ^ strongly believed (www.abc.net.au)
- ^ it was reported police received a tip-off (www.heraldsun.com.au)
- ^ with Freeman hiding (www.theage.com.au)
- ^ the homicide, armed crime and fugitive squads (www.police.vic.gov.au)
- ^ move through a number of stages (pure.bond.edu.au)
- ^ CC BY-SA (creativecommons.org)
- ^ 100 properties were searched. (www.news.com.au)
- ^ A$1 million dollar reward (www.police.vic.gov.au)
- ^ and oversee an investigation into the shootings (www.ibac.vic.gov.au)
- ^ reportable deaths (www.coronerscourt.vic.gov.au)
- ^ inquest goes beyond an investigation (www.coronerscourt.vic.gov.au)
- ^ killed during a traffic stop (www.coronerscourt.vic.gov.au)
Authors: Terry Goldsworthy, Associate Professor in Criminal Justice and Criminology, Bond University
