Police have issued a direct plea to accused gunman Dezi Freeman, urging him to turn himself in.
“If Dezi Freeman is watching this, ring triple-0,” Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner of Regional Operations Russell Barrett said on Thursday, as police confirmed there had still been no sightings of Freeman.
“We will support a surrender plan, that option is open to him.”
Barrett said the main priority of the extensive manhunt in the Victorian high country. was to apprehend the suspected cop killer and “bring him to justice”.
He said wintry conditions and tough terrain were complicating the search.
“It’s complex terrain, and it’s not something that we, even with our specialist resources, can move through quickly, because it’s dangerous terrain as well,” Barrett said.
Freeman is accused of shooting dead two police officers — Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, 35 — and injuring a third when they went to his Porepunkah property on Tuesday to execute a warrant.
The self-described sovereign citizen fled into the bush and has not been seen since. He is believed to be heavily armed.
The town of about 1000 residents was sent into lockdown after the shooting. On Thursday, Porepunkah Primary School reopened to students.
However, police reiterated warnings for people to stay indoors as they battle the elements in the hunt for the accused gunman.
Holidaymakers heading to the snow in north-east Victoria this weekend were also urged to reconsider their plans.
“There’s other alternate routes to the snow. You can go through Mount Beauty or Running Creek, but if you have an option not to go to the snow this weekend, take that option,” Barrett said.
Earlier on Thursday, the Nine newspapers revealed that the warrant police were to execute on Tuesday was for alleged sexual offences against a child under the age of 16. The Age reported that the alleged offending occurred within the past two years.
Members of the sexual offences and child abuse investigation team were reportedly among 10 officers who were on Freeman’s property when the ambush ensued.
The township in the state’s north-east is 280 metres above sea level and close to Mount Buffalo, where several centimetres of snow fell on Wednesday.
Snow is forecast to fall above 900m in the area on Thursday, with maximum day-time temperatures tipped to hover between 5 degrees and 13 degrees.
Meteorologist Helen Reid said snow down could fall to 600 metres in Victoria as a cold snap descends on parts of SA, Tasmania, Victoria and NSW from Friday.
“Higher parts of the mountains, especially near the Victorian-NSW border, could get half a metre of snow during this outbreak,” she said.
Overnight, Melbourne’s iconic landmarks were lit up in blue to honour the dead officers. Flinders Street Station, the Shrine of Remembrance and Parliament House were among the buildings bathed in blue.
Flags remained at half-mast at government buildings on Thursday.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the shooting deaths of Victoria Police officers Neal Thompson and Vadim De Waart had left their loved ones “shattered”.
“As a parliament, as a country, we offer our deepest condolences to all whose worlds have been shattered by this horrific shooting,” Albanese told parliament on Thursday.
“Our hearts go out to everyone whose heart is breaking.
“We honour the bravery of Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart and our hopes and prayers are with their fellow officers at the scene, including one currently in The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne receiving treatment for their wounds.
“I want to make it clear that the Commonwealth stands ready to provide any support required now or in the future.”
Barrett said the injured officer was still in hospital and would “take some time to recover”.
“I acknowledge him and his family and to the family of two fallen members, just my absolute respect and deepest sympathies,” he said.
Freeman, 56, has bush survival experience and was last seen wearing dark green tracksuit pants, a dark green rain jacket, brown Blundstone boots and reading glasses.
He is believed to be a sovereign citizen, an ideology that questions government authority and whose followers believe the rule of law doesn’t apply to them, and who disassociate from society.
-with AAP
Live News
