The Morning Edition The dramatic end to the hunt for Dezi Freeman
Mar 30, 2026
Melissa Cunningham, a crime reporter who covered the manhunt, gives on-the-ground detail and analysis. She walks through the three-hour standoff that ended with Dezi Freeman being shot, outlines police accounts and investigations, and traces Freeman’s sovereign citizen ties and movements. Listeners hear about the remote property, local reactions, unanswered questions about assistance, and the coronial process to come.
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Standoff Ended When Freeman Presented Firearm
- Melissa Cunningham reported police shot Desi Freeman after a three-hour standoff following attempts to negotiate at a property near the Murray River.
- Victoria Police say Freeman emerged wrapped in a doona, dropped it, then presented a firearm which ended negotiations and led to lethal force.
Independent Inquiries To Determine What Happened
- Independent investigations will examine both the shooting and how Freeman reached the property, with the state coroner visiting the scene.
- Victoria Police Commissioner Mike Bush publicly supported officers' actions and noted differing interpretations will be resolved at coronial process.
Freeman's Sovereign Citizen Profile Explained
- Desi Freeman was a self-proclaimed sovereign citizen known for contempt of police and prior public stunts.
- He allegedly killed two police and injured another during a search warrant execution while living on a bus in Porepunkah.