A self-confessed police hater who was the main suspect in the murder of two police officers in August last year has been shot dead after seven months on the run. Desmond “Dezi” Freeman, 56, is believed to have shot and killed Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart, 35, at Porepunkah in Victoria, Australia on August 26 last year. The officers came to his property executing a search warrant over historical sex offenses. A third officer was injured. Known for his survival skills and ability to live off the grid, Freeman has been on the run ever since. After the shooting he disappeared into Victoria’s alpine region, leaving behind his wife and children. Police shot the fugitive gunman dead in north-east Victoria on Monday morning, local time. He was killed following a three-hour standoff after being located inside a shipping container near the Mount Lawson state forest, around 60 miles from Porepunkah. In 2003, he changed his surname from Filby to Freeman to express his anti-government views, labeling himself a sovereign citizen who rejects laws. He was also a rabid conspiracy theorist who had called police “terrorist thugs” and once tried to arrest a magistrate during court proceedings. His friends told Guardian Australia he had become increasingly radicalized over the years. Victoria Police chief commissioner Mike Bush said he believed Freeman had been assisted in his time on the run. “We will conduct an investigation to see if others have been complicit and aiding him, not just in getting out of the area but supporting him while he’s been on the run,” Bush said.
