Desmond Freeman manhunt: Two associates released by Victoria police

Investigators had been tracking a car linked to Desmond Freeman’s hide-out before the siege. Photo / Supplied

Two people arrested in connection with the movements of cop-killer Desmond “Dezi” Freeman have been released pending further police inquiries.

The man and woman, both associates of Freeman and not family members, were taken into custody at 7am on Saturday at separate properties in northeast Victoria and interviewed by detectives.

“The pair have now been released pending further inquiries,” a police spokesperson said.

“We are not in a position to provide further details at this immediate time.”

Freeman had previously killed Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart, and injured a third officer, before vanishing into dense bushland, a manhunt that evolved into Australia’s largest tactical police operation.

Freeman’s seven-month flight from justice ended in a deadly shootout last Monday.

Police stormed a remote property in Thologolong, near the New South Wales border, where Freeman had been hiding in a makeshift shelter resembling a shipping container and caravan, more than 150km from his home.

He eventually emerged from the container wrapped in a blanket and clutching a gun, later confirmed by detectives to have been taken from one of the officers he had previously killed.

The standoff erupted in a volley of gunfire, with Freeman understood to have fired two shots before officers returned fire up to 20 times.

Officers from Victoria’s Special Operations Group had spent about three hours trying to negotiate a peaceful surrender before the fatal exchange.

The state’s Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said Freeman was “given every opportunity to resolve [the situation] peacefully”.

Investigators had been tracking a vehicle moving to and from the 56-year-old’s hideout in the lead-up to the deadly confrontation at around 8.30am local time on Monday.

Police had offered a A$1 million reward for information leading to his capture, although it is not known whether the reward was claimed.

Sign up to Herald Premium Editor’s Picks, delivered straight to your inbox every Friday. Editor-in-Chief Murray Kirkness picks the week’s best features, interviews and investigations. Sign up for Herald Premium here.