Dezi Freeman: The Hunt | Ep 2 | Inside the operation
5/4/202622 min
Once police received the tip-off that exposed Dezi Freeman’s hideout, they moved in — quietly.
For seven days, officers hid in dense bushland, watching the remote property, waiting for the moment to strike. They knew Freeman had already evaded capture once. If he ran again, they might not get a second chance.
7NEWS journalist Michael Usher and Crime Editor Cassie Zervos take you inside the high-stakes surveillance, the planning behind the takedown, and the risks facing officers on the ground, as they closed in on one of Australia’s most wanted fugitives.
Dezi Freeman: The Hunt is a 7NEWS and LiSTNR co-production.
Listen to the podcast on Secrets We Keep or watch the vodcast on 7Plus.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsCassie Zervos· Host0:00
[instrumental music] A listener production.
Speaker 1· Host0:04
You know, there's people who think Deszy Freeman isn't dead.
Michael Usher· Host0:06
Is that true?
Speaker 1· Host0:07
Yeah.
Michael Usher· Host0:08
Have you had that commentary?
Speaker 1· Host0:09
I had people message me that day saying, "Fake news, not real. Prove it. Police are lying. It's a cover-up."
Michael Usher· Host0:17
[suspenseful music] Two police officers killed, one suspect gone.
Speaker 3· Soundbite0:23
We will not rest until we apprehend the offender.
Michael Usher· Host0:27
Deszy Bird Freeman, a self-proclaimed sovereign citizen accused of shooting police, then disappearing into the bush.
Speaker 4· Soundbite0:35
His propensity to use violence has been shown. He's high risk to the community.
Speaker 3· Soundbite0:43
Our resolve doesn't change. We will continue to investigate this matter until he's found.
Michael Usher· Host0:47
What followed was one of the biggest manhunts in Australian history.
Speaker 4· Soundbite0:52
He knows the area. He's a very experienced bushman, and I think it would be very hard to find him.
Cassie Zervos· Host0:59
Plunging the quiet tourist towns of Porepunkah and Bright into lockdown.
Michael Usher· Host1:04
Hundreds of officers and a million-dollar reward, then months without answers. I'm journalist and 7News presenter Michael Usher.
Cassie Zervos· Host1:15
And I'm 7News Melbourne crime editor Cassie Zervos. This is the inside story of the shooting that shocked the country, the search that followed, and the final intense hours that spelled the end of Deszy Bird Freeman. This