Dezi Freeman lived off-grid for 216 days before Thologolong shootout as police probe possible accomplices

Fresh details have emerged about how double cop killer Dezi Freeman survived for 216 days on the run, after a dramatic early-morning operation ended one of Australia’s largest manhunts near the Murray River.

Police tracked the 56-year-old to an isolated rural property in Thologolong, near Walwa on the Victorian-NSW border, where he was shot dead on Monday after a three-hour stand-off with specialist officers.

Authorities say Freeman emerged from a shipping container wrapped in what appeared to be a blanket before producing a firearm believed to have been taken from one of the officers killed during the initial shooting in Porepunkah in August.

“I can now confirm that it is a police firearm, and we believe it was taken from one of our murdered officers on the 26th of August,” Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said.

“I have seen video of the deceased leaving the building and presenting a firearm at our officers,” Mr Bush said.

“That action took away any discretion our officers had.”

Specialist police moved in on the container shortly after 5.30am, deploying flash bangs and smoke grenades before eventually ramming the structure with a BearCat armoured vehicle.

The remote property, scattered with shipping containers, abandoned vehicles, caravans and tarpaulins, showed signs of off-grid living, including solar panels and makeshift facilities.

Investigators are now working to determine how Freeman managed to evade capture for so long and whether he received help while on the run.

“We’re very keen to learn who, if any, but I’m sure some, actually assisted him getting away from Porepunkah to where he was located,” Mr Bush said.

Friends have also questioned how Freeman could have survived alone.

“He couldn’t have done all this on his own. He must have been assisted by someone else,” friend Alex Kristic told 9News.

Police have not confirmed whether a tip-off led them to the property, despite a $1 million reward being offered for information leading to Freeman’s arrest — the largest financial incentive in Victoria’s history.

On Monday, Mr Bush was clear that details regarding information that led to locating Freeman, or if a payment would be made, would be kept confidential.

Speculation about the reward quickly spread through nearby communities as news of the operation broke.

“It’s been pretty crazy today,” Walwa General Store’s Samir Ramzan said.

“We had a lot of locals find out, then reporters, a lot of phone calls, and a bikie group came through because the road was closed.

“Some people are teasing each other - ‘who dobbed him in, who got the million?’”

Local residents expressed concern that Freeman had been living nearby unnoticed.

“Assuming it is (Dezi), I am a little uncomfortable that Dezi Freeman has been found in the Upper Murray,” Walwa resident Janice Newnham said.

“I thought it likely that he had managed to escape the Mt Buffalo area, but I expected he would be beyond the state boundaries by now.

“I am more concerned that his enablers might be within our community, since he was on private property.”

Freeman had not been formally sighted since allegedly shooting dead officers Neal Thompson and Vadim de Waart-Hottart as part of a police team executing a warrant at his home in Porepunkah in late August.

Hundreds of officers from across Australia took part in the search effort, navigating harsh terrain including mountainous bushland and extreme weather conditions.

Police said Freeman’s appearance had changed slightly during the months he remained hidden.

“His hair was a little bit longer and he had a beard,” Mr Bush said.

Authorities are continuing to investigate how Freeman remained undetected for more than seven months and who may have helped him survive.

“It’s very important for us to understand how long he’s been here and who else was complicit in getting him here and then caring for him or providing him with food and other things to this point,” Mr Bush said.

Premier Jacinta Allan said the end of the manhunt would bring some relief to affected communities.

“This incident has hung like a dark, dark shadow over these communities,” she said.

“That shadow has been lifted somewhat.”

“It is over in terms of the operation but it will never be over for those families,” she said.

Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt said the memory of the fallen officers would endure.

“The memory of cowards fades quickly but with heroes it lives on forever,” he said.

Investigations are continuing into whether anyone assisted Freeman while he remained on the run.

- With AAP