Two men arrested in Victoria linked to Dezi Freeman evasion

Two men have been arrested in northeast Victoria as part of the ongoing investigation into how Dezi Freeman evaded capture for seven months after killing two police officers last year. The men, aged 48 and 35, were taken into custody at separate locations on Tuesday and are being interviewed by detectives from Taskforce Summit, the special police group investigating Freeman's movements. Authorities have not disclosed the nature of the men's alleged connection to Freeman or whether charges are expected.

The arrests follow a coronial directions hearing that revealed new, detailed accounts of the violent events leading to the deaths of Freeman and the two officers. The Coroners Court of Victoria heard that on August 26, 2025, ten officers attended Freeman's property in Porepunkah to execute a search warrant. Freeman was a person of interest in an investigation concerning allegations of historical child mistreatment, including an alleged sexual assault of a child under 16 and an attempt to involve a child in the production of child abuse material.

According to counsel assisting the coroner, Lindsay Spence, police attempted to negotiate with Freeman, who was living in a converted bus...