Police are attempting to understand the mindset of accused cop killer Dezi Freeman as the manhunt enters its fifth day, according to criminologist Vincent Hurley.
Hurley said Freeman could remain at large for several days, as he has the advantage of hiding in an area he knows well. However, the lack of rest will weigh heavily on him physically. “It’s his backyard. What’s working against him are the weather conditions and whether he has access to essentials like ammunition, food, or extra clothing,” Hurley explained.
“The weather will wear him down both physically and psychologically. He’ll have no rest, remain on edge, and constantly fear that the police are watching him and will find him. At this point, the police have the advantage.”
Porepunkah is currently under a severe weather warning for damaging winds and is expected to receive heavy rain and freezing overnight lows in the coming days.
More than 450 police officers from across the country are involved in the search, five days after Freeman allegedly ambushed and killed two Victoria Police officers. His 15-year-old son and wife are in police custody, and Hurley said authorities would be speaking to them to better understand Freeman’s mindset.
“They will try to gather information about the firearm capacity he may have, his state of mind, and what triggered this event,” Hurley said. “This logistical information will be passed on to negotiators to gain insight into his thinking. He’s a sovereign citizen and a right-wing extremist—individuals in that group are very anti-police. It appeared to be a spur-of-the-moment act.”
Freeman allegedly fatally shot Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Constable Vadim De Waart on Tuesday morning at a home in Porepunkah. A third officer was shot in the leg and is recovering in hospital. Freeman, a self-described “sovereign citizen,” is known to police.
Hurley noted that public appeals by police “give him an out” if he chooses to surrender. “He will know options are available and he is not completely boxed in, which will play on his mind. But my gut feeling is he won’t come out of his own free will, given that he allegedly murdered two people and nearly a third. I don’t think it’s going to end well.”
Hundreds of officers continue to search for Freeman as the manhunt enters its fifth day.
