A 61-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a shooting in Porepunkah, Victoria, prompting a large-scale police operation and the cancellation of a local parkrun event. Dezi Freeman, the subject of the manhunt, was apprehended following a search that began after reports of a shooting on Thursday.
The incident has raised concerns in the close-knit alpine community,leading to a police investigation and a focus on Freeman’s background,which includes associations with “sovereign citizen” ideologies.While the investigation is ongoing and charges have not yet been filed, the arrest marks a significant development in the case and offers a degree of reassurance to residents.
Victoria Police arrested Freeman’s 42-year-old wife, Mali, and a 15-year-old boy on Thursday night at an address in Porepunkah. Both were interviewed and later released, with police stating that charges may or may not follow.
Police Chief Commissioner mike Bush confirmed the arrests and the ongoing nature of the investigation. “There may or may not be charges that follow,” Bush said.
Authorities had been searching for Freeman, who possesses bush survival skills, after he was last seen wearing dark green tracksuit pants, a dark green rain jacket, Blundstone boots, and reading glasses.
The nearby Luminous parkrun event was cancelled on Saturday as a precautionary measure, with organizers stating the decision was made at the proposal of police.
freeman is known to have a history of involvement with pseudolaw and “sovereign citizen” beliefs, a factor police are likely considering as they continue their investigation.
