Hundreds of police remain in and around the Porepunkah area as specialist police continue the search for armed offender Desmond Freeman (Filby). Victoria Police are recommending that people travelling to Bright, Falls Creek or Mount Hotham avoid travelling through Porepunkah and instead, travel Happy Valley Road at C534 and the Kiewa Valley Highway to the snowfields. The advice provided to the greater Porepunkah area still applies - specialist police continue to search for Desmond Freeman (Filby) who is armed and dangerous, and multiple police units remain in the general area of Porepunkah. Police advise that if you see Freeman, call 000 immediately but do not approach him. The search for Freeman is now in its fifth day, and conditions have been challenging over recent days with the nearby hills now blanketed in snow. Freeman, who is well-versed in bushcraft, was last seen heavily armed fleeing into the forest at the rear of his Rayner Track property on the outskirts of Porepunkah after allegedly killing Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart on Tuesday morning. A Detective Leading Senior Constable who was shot in the lower body continued to recover in hospital and was set to have a second surgery. Speaking in Wangaratta on Friday, Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush confirmed that prior to a 10-member search warrant of Freeman’s property on Tuesday, additional resources from Melbourne were considered, but ultimately not requested. Police continued to be discreet in sharing details of the mass search due to the possibility of Freeman having access to media and the force still offered a surrender plan. “If that person is listening, it really is time to lay down your firearms and give yourself up, so that we can all bring this to a safe conclusion and this community can get back to what they love to do,” Chief Commissioner Bush said. “If he is being aided in this escape, whoever is considering aiding him in this escape or avoiding apprehension, they are committing a criminal offence and this person does not deserve to be aided in any way.”
