Dezi Freeman.
Photo: ABC / Supplied
Two people have been arrested as part of a police investigation into the movements of fugitive Dezi Freeman, who was shot dead by police last Monday.
Freeman had been on the run since August last year after fatally shooting two police officers while they attempted to carry out a warrant at his Porepunkah property in north-east Victoria.
The ordeal came to an end after a three-hour stand-off with police at a property in Thologolong, more than 150 kilometres from Freeman’s home.
On Monday, officers surrounded a shipping container and Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush had earlier said Freeman was “given every opportunity to resolve [the situation] peacefully”.
Freeman eventually emerged from the container wrapped in a blanket and cradling a gun, which detectives later confirmed was a firearm taken from one of the slain officers.
The ABC understands up to eight officers from Victoria Police’s Special Operations Group fired their weapons towards Freeman.
The property in Thologolong where police killed Dezi Freeman.
Photo: ABC News
On Saturday, Victoria Police confirmed detectives from Taskforce Summit had arrested a man and a woman as part of their ongoing investigation into the movement of Freeman.
“The man and woman were arrested about 7am on 4 April at two properties in north-east Victoria,” a police spokesperson said.
“The investigation remains ongoing and, as such, we are not in a position to provide further details at this immediate time.”
Victoria Police confirmed the pair were associates of Freeman and were not members of his family.
They will be interviewed by police.
Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart were killed by Freeman, and a third officer was injured before he disappeared into dense bushland, sparking Australia’s largest-ever tactical police operation.
A $1 million reward was offered by police for any information leading to the arrest of Freeman, but it is not known whether that has been claimed.
As part of their investigation, detectives were looking into how Freeman managed to evade officers and whether he had help from anyone.
-ABC