Dezi Freeman: Police swarm Porepunkah street, remove ‘five or six’ people from home as manhunt intensifies

A teenage boy and woman have been taken into custody as part of the escalating investigation into the fatal shooting of two officers earlier this week.

Fugitive Squad detectives, assisted by members of the Special Operations Group, attended a home in Porepunkah at approximately 8:40pm on Thursday.

The arrests occurred after the wife of Dezi Freeman, the alleged cop killer, was seen talking with police and being escorted away.

There, police safely arrested a 15-year-old boy and a 42-year-old woman.

Victoria Police confirmed that both were interviewed and subsequently released pending further inquiries.

The arrests are part of the broader investigation into the deaths of Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, who were fatally shot while on duty on Tuesday.

A third officer, a 56-year-old detective leading senior constable, remains in hospital after sustaining a gunshot wound to the lower body.

On Thursday night, a quiet street in Porepunkah was transformed into the centre of a dramatic police raid, as heavily armed officers intensified the hunt for alleged double killer Dezi Freeman.

Neighbours described a sudden influx of unmarked police vehicles around 9pm, with convoys swarming Francis Street and detaining multiple residents.

At 9.24pm, an emergency alert was reportedly issued warning the public to avoid the area as police “searched for an armed and dangerous offender”.

According to the Herald Sun, officers used loudspeakers to order people out of their homes — instructing them to “come out with nothing in your hands” — while properties were methodically cleared.

A specialist unit is understood to have stormed one home and escorted “five or six people” outside. The house is believed to be connected to one of Mr Freeman’s relatives.

Witnesses estimated the line of police vehicles stretched as far back as the Great Alpine Road.

Speaking at a Thursday press conference, Superintendent Brett Kahan warned that anyone helping Mr Freeman could face serious criminal charges. He also urged the accused gunman to surrender.

“Ring triple zero, and we will support a surrender plan. That option is absolutely open to him,” Supt Kahan said.

Police will scour mines, caves and dugouts for Mr Freeman as conditions deteriorate for the manhunt’s fourth day.

Mr Freeman fled into bushland after he allegedly killed Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, 35, at a Porepunkah property in regional Victoria.

Another wounded officer, who was among the group of 10 attempting to serve a search warrant relating to alleged child sex offending, is expected to recover after undergoing surgery.

With Mr Freeman on the run, the small community 300km northeast of Melbourne has been urged to stay vigilant.

Weather conditions on the ground were forecast to deteriorate on Friday as showers laced with hail and thunderstorms passed through, bringing wintry conditions, including snowfall to 600m above sea level, senior meteorologist Angus Hines said.

Every available asset and police capability was being deployed on the ground to apprehend Mr Freeman, Deputy Commissioner, Regional Operations Russell Barrett said.

“That’s our purpose, and we will not rest until it occurs,” he said.

Supt Kahan said the terrain was difficult and dangerous.

“It’s not something that we, even with our specialist resources, can move through quickly,” he said.

Police continued to speak with Mr Freeman’s wife, as officers investigated properties, mines, caves and dugouts in the area.

“We will systematically search areas of interest,” Mr Barrett said.

The bodies of the fallen officers were given a guard of honour by flashing-light police cars as they were taken to Melbourne Coroners Court on Wednesday night.

Det Snr Const Thompson was cut down in his “last week or so” of work before retirement, and Snr Const Vadim De Waart had a “great career in front of him”, Mr Barrett said.

Local council services would resume on Friday, but the waste tip would remain closed until further notice, Alpine Shire Council said.

Mr Freeman, who has bush survival experience, was last seen wearing dark green tracksuit pants, a dark green rain jacket, brown Blundstone boots and reading glasses, police said.

He is believed to be a sovereign citizen, an ideology that questions government authority and whose followers believe the rule of law doesn’t apply to them, and who disassociate from society.

- With AAP