Victoria police re-enact single gunshot heard hour after Dezi Freeman fled into Porepunkah bushland | Porepunkah shooting
The alleged sound of a single gunshot has sparked a new investigation in the long-running manhunt for alleged cop killer Desmond “Dezi” Freeman.
As part of their search, Victoria police carried out “firearms tests” near Barrett Lane and Rayner Track at Porepunkah, about 300km north-east of Melbourne, on Wednesday.
The tests were initiated at around 11:45 on August 26, following reports that a gunshot was heard in the vicinity.
Freeman had allegedly opened fire on police moments earlier, killing Det Sen Const Neal Thompson and Sen Const Vadim de Waart-Hottart and wounding a third police officer.
They were among 10 officers who served a search warrant at Freeman’s Porepunkah home and encountered them at about 10.30am.
“The area was searched by police but no trace of Freeman was found,” Victoria police said in a statement on Sunday.
“Investigators are hopeful that firearms testing may assist police in ongoing searches.”
Police would like to speak to anyone who may have heard the gunshot, including members of the public who were in the area at the time and believe they may have been the person responsible.
Despite investigating more than 1,700 tips, detectives have had no confirmed sightings of Freeman since he fled into the heavily wooded area.
Hundreds of police officers and specialist sources, including interstate and international teams, combed the area and surrounding area.
The search was reduced to more than 200 officers in September, and Buffalo Mountain national park reopened to the public in late October.
Police Chief Mike Bush previously said police were examining several possible scenarios.
“Is he still alive? We don’t know. Is he alive and still in the area? We don’t have any real information about that,” Bush told reporters in mid-October.
“Or is he unable to leave the area and is being cared for by others? We don’t know. These are all conjectures, possibilities, and we are planning a source for these three.”
Victoria police have offered a $1 million reward and the possibility of compensation for information leading to Freeman’s capture; this was the largest reward in state history for facilitating an arrest.
People in the area were advised to be careful and not approach the fugitive, who is considered armed and dangerous.
