Australian Police Kill Fugitive Dezi Freeman in Victoria

Australian police shot and killed fugitive Dezi Freeman on Monday morning at a rural property in northeast Victoria, ending a seven-month manhunt for the man accused of fatally shooting two officers during a search warrant execution last August.

Victoria Police confirmed the incident occurred shortly after 8:30 a.m. local time as part of an ongoing operation to locate Freeman, who had evaded capture since August 26. Authorities did not immediately identify the deceased man in their initial statement, but multiple reports indicated he was Freeman, the 56-year-old primary suspect in the earlier killings. No officers were injured in the shooting, police said. The state coroner attended the scene, and the Professional Standards Command will oversee the investigation into the police action, following standard procedures for such incidents. Further details were expected to be released later Monday.

The confrontation that sparked the manhunt unfolded at Freeman's remote property in Porepunkah, a small town about 300 kilometers northeast of Melbourne. A team of 10 officers, including members of the sexual offenses and child abuse investigation unit, arrived to serve a search warrant...