Dezi Freeman Killed in Shootout, Manhunt Ends

0:00Police just took down Desi Freeman, the guy accused of killing two cops, in a shootout up in Northeast Victoria early this morning. It went down around 8.30 a.m. at a rural spot near Wawa, where he was holed up in his shipping container. Heavily armed officers moved in, and Freeman got fatally shot. No cops hurt in the exchange. This all traces back to last August 26th, when Freeman ambushed three officers serving a search warrant on a poor punco property. He killed detective leading senior constable Neil Thompson, and senior constable Vatim DeWart-Hotard, then wounded a third before bolting into the bush. For six straight months, police ran a massive statewide manhunt through thick bushland, hitting spots like Mount Buffalo National Park Hard, but he stayed slippery till now. The state corner is heading to the scene, and professional standards command will oversee the probe into the shooting, as they always do. The case closed on the run, but questions linger on what spark that first deadly clash.

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