Desmond ‘Dezi’ Freeman: COVID anger fuelling accused Porepunkah cop killer’s supporters

Support for alleged cop-killer Desmond Freeman is deepening anti-authority sentiment in pockets of the country, people who live and work in the areas being scoured by police say.

Tuesday is the eighth day of a wide-scale manhunt for Freeman after the deaths of two police officers at his property in the Victorian high country.

On August 26, officers serving a warrant were gunned down before Freeman took off into the bush of Mount Buffalo National Park just outside the township of Porepunkah.

Residents in the nearby town of Bright expressed anger to NewsWire at the prospect of a local harbouring or helping Freeman, a possibility that police officially acknowledged on Monday.

Bright is just 7km from Porepunkah, and on Friday police charged Bright man Steve Mallet with cannabis and imitation firearms offences – ostensibly linked to the manhunt despite Mr Mallet telling the Herald Sun he had never met Freeman.

Mr Mallet’s openness to speak to the media has ruffled feathers in the small town, with many people telling NewsWire on Tuesday they were not comfortable having their names attributed to their own comments.

People living in Bright seem confident Freeman is not hiding in their town, given a limited police presence, although a police van is set up on the main street to garner information.

Some residents told NewsWire that anti-government sentiment built up during the pandemic was sparking support for Freeman.

“It’s the thought that if somebody’s harbouring him – they can say what they want – the guy is a cold-blooded murderer,” said a resident who did not want to be named.

“That’s what’s pissed me off about it; there’s so many people defending him.

“‘Oh, he’s a good church guy’. What a crock of f***ing sh*t?”

Freeman changed his surname from Filby, described himself as a “sovereign citizen”, and became an active anti-government figure during the pandemic.

Residents acknowledge hardships of the pandemic are feeding support for Freeman.

“It was so unfair. COVID made a mess of the state,” the resident said.

On the weekend at anti-immigration rally in Adelaide, a person carried a sign celebrating the fugitive gunman.

The Bright resident speaking to NewsWire said there was support for Freeman in Bright community Facebook pages too.

“They were celebrating, almost, in shooting these cops,” they said.

“I can’t believe that happens in this country. I can’t believe anybody thinks like that.

“Clearly, they still think the Earth is flat and that they’re all lizard people.”

“There’s conspiracy after conspiracy, and you’ll just keep finding more and more conspiracies until you believe them.”

Bright has a population of 2600 according to the latest census, about three times the size of Porepunkah.

Much of the bushland police have focused the manhunt on is in the Mount Buffalo National Park, where families can ski for free. The park has been closed since the shooting.

In Bright, the rental stores cater to skiers headed to numerous ski fields, and bookings have dropped about 15 per cent in the past week.

“There’s a few different factors, but the nutbag with the gun may be affecting it a little,” one ski industry worker told NewsWire.

The worker also acknowledged links between the pandemic and some simmering conspiratorial anti-authority feelings.

“There’s that small element in any town, even a relatively clean town like Bright.

“There were elements that were so anti-government during COVID that you can see that, well, it’s not that big a step. You know, they had a hard time because they weren’t doing the right thing.”

Many shops and cafes in Bright were closed anyway because school had gone back.

Sonya lives about 200km away and was visiting Bright with a friend; neither of whom had concerns about being in the area.

“There’s enough police here. You would know if there was a change in circumstances,” she said.