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| Wife of alleged Porepunkah killer Dezi Freeman urges him to surrender, sharing ‘deep sorrow’ at police deaths | Wife of alleged Porepunkah killer Dezi Freeman urges him to surrender, sharing ‘deep sorrow’ at police deaths |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Amalia Freeman says Victoria police have her ‘full support’ in search for fugitive accused of fatally shooting two officers | Amalia Freeman says Victoria police have her ‘full support’ in search for fugitive accused of fatally shooting two officers |
| From Wieambilla to Porepunkah, violent ‘anti-government extremists’ are a growing threat | From Wieambilla to Porepunkah, violent ‘anti-government extremists’ are a growing threat |
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| The wife of a fugitive accused of killing two police officers has urged him to surrender and says she will cooperate fully with authorities. | The wife of a fugitive accused of killing two police officers has urged him to surrender and says she will cooperate fully with authorities. |
| Dezi Freeman, also known as Desmond Filby, fled into the bush on Tuesday after a fatal confrontation at a property in Porepunkah, about 300km north-east of Melbourne. | |
| He is accused of killing Det Leading Sen Const Neal Thompson, 59, and Sen Const Vadim De Waart, 35. | He is accused of killing Det Leading Sen Const Neal Thompson, 59, and Sen Const Vadim De Waart, 35. |
| More than 450 police officers have been deployed to the rural community as part of the search, which has included examining disused mines, caves and dugouts. | More than 450 police officers have been deployed to the rural community as part of the search, which has included examining disused mines, caves and dugouts. |
| Freeman’s wife, Amalia Freeman, on Sunday shared her “deep sorrow” over the deaths of the two officers. | |
| “We are truly sorry for your loss, and the suffering and grief that the families, friends and colleagues of [Thompson and De Waart] are now experiencing. My children and I grieve for the loss of your loved ones,” Freeman said in a statement provided to media including Guardian Australia said. | “We are truly sorry for your loss, and the suffering and grief that the families, friends and colleagues of [Thompson and De Waart] are now experiencing. My children and I grieve for the loss of your loved ones,” Freeman said in a statement provided to media including Guardian Australia said. |
| Freeman said she and her children “respect the important work of Victoria police and do not hold anti-authority views”. | Freeman said she and her children “respect the important work of Victoria police and do not hold anti-authority views”. |
| “We echo the requests of the Victoria police for the swift and safe conclusion of this tragedy,” her statement said. | “We echo the requests of the Victoria police for the swift and safe conclusion of this tragedy,” her statement said. |
| “I lend my full support to Victoria police in their search for my husband and will co-operate with Victoria Police in any way that I can.” | “I lend my full support to Victoria police in their search for my husband and will co-operate with Victoria Police in any way that I can.” |
| Freeman urged her husband to contact police and give himself up and also appealed to those who may have information about his whereabouts. | Freeman urged her husband to contact police and give himself up and also appealed to those who may have information about his whereabouts. |
| “Please Dezi, if you see or hear this, call 000 and arrange a surrender plan with the police,” her statement said. | “Please Dezi, if you see or hear this, call 000 and arrange a surrender plan with the police,” her statement said. |
| “If anyone is harbouring, helping or supporting Dezi, please call 000 immediately and speak with the police. | “If anyone is harbouring, helping or supporting Dezi, please call 000 immediately and speak with the police. |
| “If anyone has seen Dezi or knows anything that may help the police to understand his whereabouts, even if it is just a snippet of information, please call 000 immediately.” | “If anyone has seen Dezi or knows anything that may help the police to understand his whereabouts, even if it is just a snippet of information, please call 000 immediately.” |
| Police say they have received several reported sightings of Freeman since he went on the run, although none have been confirmed. | Police say they have received several reported sightings of Freeman since he went on the run, although none have been confirmed. |
| “There have been alleged sightings which we’re exploring,” the Victoria police chief commissioner, Mike Bush, told reporters on Thursday. | “There have been alleged sightings which we’re exploring,” the Victoria police chief commissioner, Mike Bush, told reporters on Thursday. |
| “We can’t confirm that they are of him but if you think you see him, let us know. We’ll explore it.” | “We can’t confirm that they are of him but if you think you see him, let us know. We’ll explore it.” |
| Blizzard-like conditions and heavy rain have hampered the search. | Blizzard-like conditions and heavy rain have hampered the search. |
| Potential links between Freeman and a 61-year-old man who has been charged with weapons and drug offences are being investigated. | Potential links between Freeman and a 61-year-old man who has been charged with weapons and drug offences are being investigated. |
| Victoria police on Sunday said they had arrested a 61-year-old man in Bright just before 5pm on Friday. | Victoria police on Sunday said they had arrested a 61-year-old man in Bright just before 5pm on Friday. |
| Police seized weapons and “a quantity of cannabis” from the house they found him in, they alleged. | Police seized weapons and “a quantity of cannabis” from the house they found him in, they alleged. |
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| The man was charged with possessing an imitation firearm and possessing cannabis. | The man was charged with possessing an imitation firearm and possessing cannabis. |
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| He was bailed to appear before Myrtleford magistrates court on 3 October, police said. | He was bailed to appear before Myrtleford magistrates court on 3 October, police said. |
| Police said whether the Bright man was associated with Freeman “forms part of the ongoing investigation” into the fugitive accused of killing two police officers. | Police said whether the Bright man was associated with Freeman “forms part of the ongoing investigation” into the fugitive accused of killing two police officers. |
| The search for Freeman on Sunday dragged into its sixth day with hundreds of police continuing to scour Victoria’s high country wilderness. | The search for Freeman on Sunday dragged into its sixth day with hundreds of police continuing to scour Victoria’s high country wilderness. |
| A police forward command post was relocated on Saturday from Feathertop Winery just outside Porepunkah to a government office in the town of Ovens, about 12km away. | A police forward command post was relocated on Saturday from Feathertop Winery just outside Porepunkah to a government office in the town of Ovens, about 12km away. |
| “The new site is a fit-for-purpose facility and will best support Victoria Police’s operational activity moving forward,” the force said. | “The new site is a fit-for-purpose facility and will best support Victoria Police’s operational activity moving forward,” the force said. |
| “We would like to reassure the community that police are not leaving the area.” | “We would like to reassure the community that police are not leaving the area.” |
| On Thursday night Freeman’s 42-year-old wife and a 15-year-old boy were arrested during a raid at a Porepunkah address. They were interviewed and released. | On Thursday night Freeman’s 42-year-old wife and a 15-year-old boy were arrested during a raid at a Porepunkah address. They were interviewed and released. |
| Police helicopters and drones have been circling the area for days in the hope of catching a sign of the fugitive. | Police helicopters and drones have been circling the area for days in the hope of catching a sign of the fugitive. |
| Freeman, who has bush survival experience, was last seen in dark green tracksuit pants, a dark green rain jacket, Blundstone boots and reading glasses, police said. | Freeman, who has bush survival experience, was last seen in dark green tracksuit pants, a dark green rain jacket, Blundstone boots and reading glasses, police said. |
| He is believed to be a “sovereign citizen”, a follower of a pseudo-legal ideology that rejects government authority and the rule of law. | He is believed to be a “sovereign citizen”, a follower of a pseudo-legal ideology that rejects government authority and the rule of law. |