Two people arrested over the movements of cop‑killer Dezi Freeman have been released, as detectives continue piecing together the deadly manhunt that shocked Victoria.

Two people arrested in connection with the movements of cop‑killer Desmond ‘Dezi’ Freeman have been released pending further police inquiries.

The man and woman, both associates of Freeman and not family members, were taken into custody at 7am on Saturday at separate properties in northeast Victoria and interviewed by detectives.

“The pair have now been released pending further inquiries,” a police spokesperson said.

“We are not in a position to provide further details at this immediate time.”

Dezi Freeman was shot dead near Thologolong, near Walwa in Victoria’s northeast, after months on the run following the fatal shooting of two police officers in Porepunkah. Picture: NewsWire/Jason Edwards
Freeman had previously killed Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart, and injured a third officer, before vanishing into dense bushland, a manhunt that evolved into Australia’s largest tactical police operation.

Freeman’s seven-month flight from justice ended in a deadly shootout on Monday.

Police stormed a remote property in Thologolong, near the NSW border, where Freeman had been hiding in a makeshift shelter resembling a shipping container and caravan, more than 150 kilometres from his home.

He eventually emerged from the container wrapped in a blanket and clutching a gun, later confirmed by detectives to have been taken from one of the officers he had previously killed.

The standoff erupted in a volley of gunfire, with Freeman understood to have fired two shots before officers returned fire up to 20 times.

Investigators had been tracking a car linked to Freeman’s hide-out before the siege.
Officers from Victoria’s Special Operations Group had spent about three hours trying to negotiate a peaceful surrender before the fatal exchange.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said Freeman was “given every opportunity to resolve (the situation) peacefully”.

Investigators had been tracking a vehicle moving to and from the 56-year-old’s hide-out in the lead-up to the deadly confrontation around 8.30am on Monday.

Police had offered a $1 million reward for information leading to his capture, although it is not known whether the reward was claimed.